Energy crisis hitting electric cars in Austria

The price is set to reach 0.24 cents per kilowatt hour from the previous 0.09 cents

The rising prices of energy in Austria are affecting electric vehicles at the charging station, as it seems that no form of transport will escape the cost of living crisis. The Federal State of Vorarlberg’s illwerke/vkw, a public provider of energy, announced a price rise for car electricity from 1 April, following a hike in household electricity prices.

According to an official statement, currently, the price per kilowatt hour at the charger is 0.09 euros, set to go up to 0.24 cents. This is a notable difference, especially considering that prices are going up or have gone up across the board for consumer goods.

Subsidising energy costs

Although countries across Europe are trying to find ways to stimulate sustainable mobility options like public transport and electric cars. However, the fact is that for most, conventional fossil-fuel cars are still the better option for many.  

This is because electric vehicles require a bigger upfront cost and charging infrastructure is still not widespread enough so that drivers do not have to pre-plan their journeys. Additionally, charging an electric car can take quite a bit longer, if there is no rapid charging station available.

One of the biggest advantages of electric vehicles, however, is the fact that once you own one, costs tend to be a lot less than a fossil-fueled equivalent. For example, with an electrically powered Opel Corsa, the owner would save around 6,000 euros after five years compared to one with a petrol engine, as the ORF reports.

According to an official statement, the state government of Vorarlberg plans to subsidise the price of electricity in charging stations with excess earnings from the illwerke/vkw. This would be a direct boost to drivers, however, the state government is yet to put a concrete number to a vote and it is hard to say how far the subsidies will go.