Summer Kilometres, 12-Month Cost Summary and the Final Verdict – Was It Worth It?
Summer season consumption, the full 12-month expense summary, a comparison across all four seasons, and an honest verdict: was switching to electric really worth it?
Hello friends, relatives, readers, followers, and all you wonderful people!
Here we are at the sixth – and final – part of my "EV openly" (EV atvirai) project. Throughout this time, there have been dozens of discussions in Facebook groups, countless personal messages of support, calls, and consultations. A massive THANK YOU to everyone who reached out, wrote, or commented – your engagement was an incredibly important driving force. I also sincerely thank those who decided to appreciate my hard work monetarily (by "buying a kilowatt-hour") – this has been a tremendous motivation to keep going. In this part, we will talk about the summer period, when the car was primarily charged at home using the VOOL station. I will provide you with the full statistics: • How many kilometers did I drive? • How many kilowatt-hours did I consume, and what did it cost? • How do these numbers look compared to petrol and diesel? • What is the math behind charging at public stations or at home without solar panels? • And most importantly – we will reveal the 12-month expense balance.
📊 Summer Statistics (June – August)
During the summer months, I charged a total of 1,029.7 kWh of electricity into my ID.4 via the VOOL station. Since I have a solar power plant (net metering), I pay a grid fee of €0.072/kWh to retrieve my stored electricity (when charging during non-daylight hours). The math is simple: 1,029.7 kWh × €0.072 = €74.14 for the entire summer. This means electricity cost me just €24.72 per month. Over these three months, I drove 5,814 km (an average of 1,938 km/month). With this data, we can reveal the magic numbers: 1. Average monthly consumption: 1,029.7 kWh / 3 months = ~343.23 kWh/month. 2. Average electricity consumption per 100 km: 343.23 kWh / 19.38 (hundreds of km) = 17.71 kWh / 100 km over the entire summer period. 3. Cost per 100 km (charging at home with solar panels): 17.71 kWh × €0.072 = €1.27 / 100 km. Based on today's fuel prices, that is slightly more than HALF A LITER OF DIESEL per 100 kilometers!
🔋 Real-world practice and city range (The 20% – 80% rule):
Many people always ask – how does it look in real life when adhering to all battery longevity rules? During the summer in the city, charging the ID.4 within the recommended and healthiest 20% – 80% range (using 60% of the battery capacity), I consistently drove 255 km. This means that a single charge up to 80% is more than enough for several days in the city without any extra stress or the need to look for a charging cable.
⚔️ The Great Clash: ID.4 vs. Petrol and Diesel
To make things completely clear and fair for everyone (both skeptics and supporters), let's compare these 5,814 km against internal combustion engines (ICE). As a reminder of my car's specs: a fully equipped 2021 VW ID.4 PRO Max (77 kWh usable battery) with 20-inch Continental EV tires.
⛽️ The Petrol Alternative (VW Arteon / VW Tiguan)
• VW Arteon 2.0 TSI (140 kW): Summer consumption based on my personal experience – ~7.5 L/100 km (or €13.31/100 km). • VW Tiguan 1.5 TSI (110 kW): Summer consumption – ~6.0 L/100 km (or €10.57/100 km). (Average A95 petrol price during summer – €1.761/L). To drive 5,814 km: • VW Arteon would have required 436 L of petrol = €767.88 • VW Tiguan would have required 348.8 L of petrol = €614.30 • VW ID.4 cost = €74.14 👉 Conclusion: The Arteon's cost per 100 km exceeds the ID.4's expenses by more than 10 TIMES, and the Tiguan by 8 TIMES.
⛽️ The Diesel Alternative (BMW X3 2.0d, 135 kW)
My mother drives this car. She tracks mileage and fuel consumption very carefully, so the numbers are based on real experience. • Summer consumption – 7.5 L/100 km (or €14.41/100 km). (Average diesel price during summer – €1.921/L). To drive 5,814 km with my mom's BMW X3 would have required 436 L of diesel, totaling €837.65. 👉 Conclusion: The cost per kilometer of the diesel BMW X3 exceeds the ID.4's expenses by more than 11 TIMES.
🏢 What if you don't have solar panels or live in an apartment?
Let's be objective – not everyone has solar panels on their roof. Therefore, let's calculate how much those same 5,814 km (1,029.7 kWh) would have cost if charging via the public network or at home using standard tariffs.
🌐 Public Charging Stations (2026 Tariffs):
• Enefit (47 kW): €0.300/kWh ➔ €308.91 (€5.31 / 100 km) • Ignitis (50 kW): €0.320/kWh ➔ €329.50 (€5.67 / 100 km) • Electrum Drive (50/150 kW): €0.347/kWh ➔ €357.31 (€6.15 / 100 km) • Ignitis (150 kW): €0.390/kWh ➔ €401.58 (€6.91 / 100 km) • Eleport (120 kW): €0.420/kWh ➔ €432.47 (€7.44 / 100 km) • Eldrive (50 kW): €0.450/kWh ➔ €463.37 (€7.97 / 100 km)
🏠 Home Charging without Solar Panels (Time-of-Use Tariff):
• Day Tariff (€0.276/kWh): €284.20 (€4.89 / 100 km) • Night Tariff (€0.176/kWh): €181.23 (€3.12 / 100 km) 👉 Key Insight: Even if you charge at the most expensive public station (Eldrive at €7.97/100 km), it is still nearly twice as cheap as driving on diesel (€14.41/100 km). And charging at home on the night tariff provides a savings of 4 to 5 times.
💰 12-Month Expense Balance and the Final Verdict
Here we arrive at the most important answer. I have been driving the ID.4 for a full year now. Over this period, compared to my previous internal combustion engine car, I saved over €1,700. For my family, this is significant money. Literally, the savings from just one year fully covered the entire installation cost of the VOOL home charging station (€1,750)! In the second year, every euro saved will go toward paying off the solar power plant investment. I can boldly and with 100% certainty state: buying an electric vehicle WAS WORTH IT. It was one of the best financial and daily comfort decisions I've made. Today, I only ask myself one rhetorical question: why didn't I do this sooner and listen to the people who encouraged me?
🔮 What's Next? (Future plans and the 12th car)
If you've been reading the previous parts carefully, you know my habit – cars rarely stay in my hands longer than 1.5 years. Therefore, this coming spring, I plan to sell my ID.4 and take the next step – buying a Škoda Enyaq iV80 / iV85. Why Škoda? I've read countless forums and listened to dozens of owner reviews. While there are always two camps, one thought is most frequently repeated: "The Enyaq is simply a more refined version of the ID.4". Since both models roll on the same MEB platform and belong to the same VAG group, I am very curious to test this myself (especially since I've never owned a Škoda before). Chances are, I will return in the spring with a comprehensive Enyaq review and open statistics. Thank you to everyone who joined me on this 6-part journey. Thank you for the open numbers, the discussions, and the support! See you on the roads! ⚡️👋
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