Calculate the Cost of Using an Electric Car, How Economical is it for Daily Use?

JAKARTA - In addition to offering a more environmentally friendly driving experience, electric vehicles are also considered capable of providing more controlled operating costs. This was revealed by Changan, a Chinese automotive brand under the auspices of the Indomobil Group.

In line with the increasing public interest in EVs, consumer considerations when choosing a vehicle are no longer focused solely on the initial purchase price. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) or total cost of ownership during use becomes one of the factors to be considered.

Energy cost efficiency is one of the main attractions of electric vehicles, especially amid fluctuations in the price of fuel oil (BBM). Changan Indonesia CEO Setiawan Surya, said electric cars could be a choice for daily mobility.

"Many consumers are now considering the cost of using vehicles as a whole, not just the purchase price. Therefore, we want to provide an overview of the efficiency of using electric vehicles in daily mobility," said Setiawan Surya, quoted from his statement, Tuesday, June 23.

In terms of energy use, the electric vehicle line is claimed by Changan to offer competitive efficiency. Home charging refers to PLN's non-subsidized electricity tariff, which is in the range of IDR 1,700 per kWh.

Meanwhile, charging at the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station (SPKLU) is charged at a rate of around IDR 2,475 per kWh for regular or medium charging services. As a compact model, the Changan Lumin is equipped with a 28.08 kWh battery with a range of up to 301 km based on the NEDC test standard.

Based on the company's internal claims, its energy consumption reaches 9.3 kWh per 100 km or the equivalent of 10.75 km/kWh. With the non-subsidized household electricity tariff, the energy costs required range from IDR 158 per km.

Meanwhile, if you charge at SPKLU, the cost is around Rp230 per km. Charging the battery full at home is estimated to require funds of around Rp48,000, while through the DC fast charging facility at SPKLU it reaches around Rp70,000.

Meanwhile, the Changan Deepal S07 relies on a battery with a capacity of 79.97 kWh with a range of up to 560 km based on NEDC testing. This electric SUV has an energy consumption of 14.2 kWh per 100 km or equivalent to 7.04 km/kWh.

With the non-subsidized household electricity tariff, the energy cost needed is in the range of Rp. 241 per km, while charging at SPKLU reaches around Rp. 351 per km. For full battery charging, users need to prepare funds of around Rp. 136,000 at home or around Rp. 200,000 if using SPKLU.

In addition to offering lower operating costs, Changan's electric vehicles also provide ease in terms of charging. Users can charge at home or use the SPKLU network and private charging stations that are constantly growing.

For fast charging needs, both models have been equipped with fast charging technology that allows the battery capacity to be charged from 30 percent to 80 percent in just about 35 minutes.

In terms of maintenance, electric vehicles have a simpler construction because they do not use internal combustion engines and various supporting components. These characteristics have the potential to reduce service costs in the long term, making it one of the important factors in calculating TCO.