For the third year in a row, Ziklo Bank releases the bank's mobility report, which examines the attitude towards electric operation among private individuals, companies and haulage companies.
The patterns are recognisable. Among those who own or have driven an electric car in the service, the picture is predominantly positive â around seven out of ten state that they would choose an electric car next time as well. But among those who do not have the habit inside, the picture looks different.
Part of the doubt concerns how the buyers calculate the car's costs. The electric car is generally more expensive to purchase, but significantly cheaper to operate. Instead, one should look more at what the cost will be over time, says the bank's CEO Joel Graffman.
- Many people have a habit of looking at the price tag and thinking that it is synonymous with what the car costs to own, he says.
For example, an electric motor has fewer moving parts than an internal combustion engine, which lowers service costs. Anyone who has the opportunity to charge the car at home or at the workplace can significantly reduce operating costs compared to a petrol or diesel car. A higher purchase price does not necessarily mean that the electric car will be more expensive to own, the report states. Financing, insurance and depreciation must also be factored in.
Savings in operating costs, however, depend on the charging possibilities, where, for example, residents in multi-family buildings lack the same possibilities as villa owners.
A concern for many is the battery life, but according to the report it is completely unfounded. On average, around 90 percent of the battery's capacity remains after six years, notes Ziklo Bank.
But the fact that the technology develops and that the "perceptions" are contradicted is not enough to convince all buyers.
- Cars are a major personal financial decision that brings with it an inherent inertia in the face of change. Many people see change as something good - as long as it doesn't apply to themselves.
Inertia is a pattern that can also be found among companies.
Larger companies more often have electric company cars and a car policy that governs which cars may be bought or leased. Among smaller companies, however, electric cars are less common.
Joel Graffman points to similarities between private buyers and smaller companies, where decisions are based to a greater extent on personal wishes â or simply chance.
- For small companies, it is often perceived as "overkill" to have a formal car policy.
A small company certainly buys few cars, but together they make up nearly 97 percent of all Swedish companies - their choices thus play an important role. And since the companies account for around two-thirds of all new registrations, it also has a major impact on the market for used cars â and thus which cars private individuals can choose from a few years later.
Over the past five years, Sweden has fallen behind its Nordic neighbors in terms of the share of electric cars in new car sales - from being second in the Nordics to being the worst in the class.
While Sweden chose to abolish the climate bonus for electric cars at the end of 2022 and at the same time invest in sharp price reductions for petrol and diesel, both Denmark and Norway, among other things, have introduced tax benefits to favor electric car sales.
Joel Graffman points to just such incentives as an important explanation for why Sweden has fallen behind.
- We see several areas that have an effect. Among other things, more equal charging access and stable game rules over time. A car rolls on the roads for over a decade and therefore no one benefits from the political instruments swinging during each term of office.
