Beginning of May 2016, STIB/MIVB announced that its bus fleet would be entirely electric by 2030. Tests will start in 2018 with two lines. By 2030, 235 new buses will be acquired. In the meantime, all new buses will be hybrid[i].
But STIB/MIVB is not the only company to go electric. The next premium Audi Electric, for instance, will be produced in Brussels (Forest). The car is intended for urban and short distances and can be charged at home using a standard plug with an adaptor. According to some experts, the new Tesla will even create a revolution like the Iphone did. The Tesla has an entry price of 35.000 €.
So, why not integrate hybrid and electric cars in a fleet as a smart and economic choice? These cars can be a real alternative and offer many advantages. Fiscal deductibility of 100%, low consumption and low CO2 emissions, etc. For companies, integrating hybrid and electric cars in a company fleet, offer many advantages:
- Tax reduction on the purchase price of the vehicle
- Low tax registration
- No tax on entry into service
- 120% tax deductibility based on CO2 emissions instead of 50-100%
- Up to 20% discount on insurances for electric cars
- Electricity prices are lower than fossil fuels. For a distance of 100 km, an electric car consumes approximately 2,5 €
But hybrid and electric cars have also several flaws. The biggest challenge they’re currently facing are the batteries. Batteries have a low lifespan (3 to 6 years) and have a low autonomy and volume weight. Moreover, they’re expensive. However, according to an analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, battery prices are decreasing rapidly. According to them, electric cars will even be cheaper than fossil cars by 2022 even if petrol prices stay low. [ii]
Another problem we’re facing if switching to electric cars, is our capacity to switch in a short term. Does Belgium have the electrical capacities?
In Belgium, 83 billion km have been crossed by cars in 2013. On average, we need to produce 27,8 kWh to drive 100 km. For 83 billion km, a total of 23 billion kwh/day or 23 TWh are needed. The current electric consumption in Belgium is around 80 TWh/year[iii].
Despite the current weaknesses, the number of electric cars is increasing each year. According to SPF Economie[iv], there were 2.871 electric cars in 2015, compared to only 10 in 2009!
In Belgium, 400.000 new vehicles are registered each year. Studies show that 40.000 of these new vehicles could be electric by 2020. If numbers continue to progress steadily between 2015 and 2020, this would mean that by 2020, 2% of the Belgian fleet park would be electric.
Did you already try an electric car? Book your test drive here:
Tesla Model S: https://www.teslamotors.com/fr_BE/models/drive
Renault Zoe: http://www.renault.be/fr/gamme-renault/vehicules-electriques/zoe/zoe/testdrive/
Nissan Leaf: https://fr.nissan.be/essai.html
[i] http://www.lalibre.be/regions/bruxelles/mobilite-a-bruxelles-la-flotte-de-bus-de-la-stib-sera-electrique-en-2030-57274e2735708ea2d519ba5b
[ii] http://datanews.levif.be/ict/actualite/la-voiture-electrique-en-2022-vraiment-plus-abordable-que-son-homologue-essence-ou-diesel/article-normal-472093.html
[iii] http://www.etopia.be/spip.php?article2839
[iv] http://www.lesoir.be/1093831/article/actualite/fil-info/fil-info-economie/2016-01-14/parc-automobile-belge-compte-60-voitures-electriques-plus-par-ra
