“In the end, all savings disappear” - Electric vehicle owners on whether they are really cost-effective

A wide discussion has unfolded on social media about whether electric vehicle owners actually save money in the end, especially when they have to deal with a very rapid decline in the car's value when selling it later. Some even conclude that when considering overall expenses, a traditional internal combustion engine vehicle may still turn out to be more cost-effective. The discussion was initiated by technology enthusiast and blogger Kristaps Skutelis, who admitted that he has become disillusioned with electrification. He writes that at first it seemed like he was saving more than 100 euros a month on fuel, maintenance, and taxes, but in the end, all the benefits are “flushed down the toilet” by the selling price of the car. Other electric vehicle owners responded to this. One commenter shares that before purchasing a used Audi E-tron RWD, he carefully calculated the total operating costs but admits that the electricity costs are only a small part of it, while the greatest concern is indeed the depreciation of the car's value. In turn, another participant in the discussion points out that one should not only look at the selling price. According to his calculations, the depreciation of an electric vehicle is about 10 cents per kilometer driven, repairs add another five cents, and electricity costs around three cents. In his opinion, similar overall expenses are often found with internal combustion engine vehicles as well. However, not everyone agrees with this. One commenter believes that the situation in the used electric vehicle market is complicated — it is difficult to sell an eight-year-old electric vehicle with a mileage of 170,000 kilometers, while older diesel cars with much higher mileage are still in demand. A similar experience is described by one of the owners of a Škoda Enyaq. He acknowledges that the car's value has fallen much faster than any previously owned internal combustion engine vehicle. At the same time, he adds that overall, he may still be slightly in the black, but the difference turned out to be not as significant as initially expected. Vispār, ziniet, es laikam tagad redzu, ka tas "brauc ar elektroauto un ietaupi" ir meli. Klaji meli. Pat ja pašā tosterēšanas laikā šķiet, ka esi zirgā un katru mēnesi ietaupi 100+ eiro uz degvielu un apkopēm, nodokļiem, beigās aprēķiniem treknu punktu pieliek auto pārdošanas…— Kristaps Skutelis (@krizdabz) July 15, 2026