Electric car's catch: eight years of free rapid charging

Home > Industry Analysis > Content

【Summary】The Rimac Nevera electric hypercar offers eight years of free access to the high-speed Ionity charging network. However, the catch is that the car itself costs around £1.74 million. To earn your money back, you would need to fill the car's battery 19,333 times and cover about 5,799,900 miles in those eight years. While this may not be practical for most consumers, it could be a great deal for those in the market for a high-performance electric hypercar.

FutureCar Staff Oct 21, 2023 11:24 PM PT

Electric car's catch: eight years of free rapid charging

Car manufacturers are increasingly offering deals where their best electric vehicles (EVs) come with discounted or free access to high-speed public charging networks. This not only reduces the cost of battery top-ups but also enhances the overall value of the car.

Typically, these deals last for a year or provide enough charging for approximately 1,000 free miles. However, there is one deal that stands out from the rest: eight years of free access to the high-speed Ionity network.

Before you get too excited, there is a catch. To avail this offer, you need to purchase a Rimac Nevera, an electric hypercar that starts at around €2m (£1.74m) and holds numerous speed records.

But let's consider this offer from a different perspective. By doing some T3 Maths, we can make the Ionity offer seem like the EV deal of the century.

Currently, Ionity chargers are priced at £0.75 per kWh. So, the cost of the Nevera is equivalent to 2,320,000 kWhs of energy. Divide that by the car's 120 kWh battery pack, and you only need to fully charge the car 19,333 times to recoup your investment.

Now, take into account the claimed 300-mile range of the Nevera (assuming sensible driving), and you'll only have to cover 5,799,900 miles in those eight years to break even. That's approximately 725,000 miles per year or a meager 1,900 miles per day.

If you become a chauffeur specializing in long-distance airport runs, you could achieve this target in no time. However, it might be necessary to focus on routes that exclusively use derestricted sections of the German Autobahn and hire someone to drive at night.

All that's left is to spend a few coins (around £90) each time you charge at a superfast, 350 kW Ionity station, and you'll quickly earn back your £1.74m investment.

This might not be the typical consumer advice you expect from T3. However, if you happen to be in the market for a 1,900-horsepower electric hypercar and have a desire to drive it non-stop for almost a decade, this deal is certainly worth considering.