Electric cars are unaffordable due to price for 8 out of 10 buyers.

Electric cars are still far from being the mainstream option for the majority of Spanish buyers, and the main stumbling block is price, which is more important than charging stations and range. This is true both for new vehicles, where 68% do not see them as a purchase option, and for those who opt for used cars, where they are out of reach for eight out of ten, because the budgets of potential car buyers are far from what these vehicles cost in both markets.

A study on purchasing trends conducted by coches.net and Ganvam indicates that only 18% of used car buyers could afford a secondhand electric vehicle. This takes into account that the average listed price for a used electric car in Spain was below €31,000 (€30,943) at the end of the first half of the year, which is 12% less than the same period last year, according to the Electricar VO report by the two organizations mentioned above.

The associations emphasize that direct aid is essential to expand the market.

However, despite the price drop, these sales are a drop in the ocean. They represent only 1.2% of the transactions carried out on the used market. Although the average price of a used electric vehicle has dropped, the average buyer's budget is €23,330. This is higher than in 2024, when they allocated €21,850. "This gap of almost €7,000 shows that, although the price is falling, it remains unaffordable for a large proportion of users," says Tania Puche, communications director at Ganvam.

The same trends affect the new electric vehicle market. Although there is no average price data, as associations do not record them due to competition regulations, a glance at specialized automotive magazines shows that the cheapest electric vehicles on the Spanish market are also around €30,000, above the average budget estimated by Ganvam for the purchase of a new electric vehicle, €24,610. Although some utility models, mainly from Chinese brands, but also from Renault and Dacia, are already beginning to appear below this price. The total market average for new electric vehicles exceeds €45,000.

High price is the key factor driving 68% of drivers surveyed in a recent Faconauto study with SigmaDos to rule out the purchase of an electric vehicle. Without official aid, the percentage of Spaniards who would not buy an electric vehicle rises to 78%. “The public's message is clear: it's not enough to appeal to sustainability; real support is needed. Bold taxation, assistance at the time of purchase, and unified management are needed. Going to 17 car dealerships is an anomaly,” explains Faconauto President Marta Blázquez. Currently, the Moves III plan for aid to the purchase of electric vehicles, which was endowed with €400 million, is in effect. However, as La Tribuna de la Automoción reports, the support funds available to the Community of Madrid and Galicia have already been exhausted, with no Moves IV plan being negotiated or processed.

The average budget for purchasing a new electric vehicle is 24,610 euros.

Thus, three-quarters of new vehicle buyers will opt for a combustion engine or non-plug-in hybrid vehicle, according to data from Faconauto. Combustion engines are also the preferred purchase option in the used market, where gasoline and diesel account for almost 85% of transactions, according to data from the associations. But what is worrying is that 41% of used vehicle sales are made for vehicles over 15 years old, which are not scrapped. "We have become accustomed to the average age of the fleet being 14.9 years, and that is a disaster for road safety," said Blázquez.

"To stimulate electric car sales, it's not enough to ban older, more polluting cars from circulation," says Tania Puche. The logical thing, according to the director, is to "facilitate the conditions to make zero-emission mobility an affordable option." This requires, in her opinion, effective incentive plans with direct assistance on the bill and support for used electric vehicles of at least 36 months, because they can cost "up to 50% less than a new one," she noted.

Faconauto, for its part, is aiming for a fleet renewal plan, with €680 million annually in aid for vehicle purchases by scrapping an old car. This is inspired by the ReiniciaAuto plan, dedicated to replacing cars lost due to the Valencia flood.

The association wants aid to be provided directly at the time of purchase and to opt for technological neutrality, meaning it should include combustion vehicles.