Electric vehicles are increasingly worthwhile for company fleets

Ayvens has published the second edition of its Car Cost Index. This annual index is a comprehensive analysis of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a car, from the smallest car to larger luxury cars for companies. It is based on estimates in the fourth quarter of 2025 in 30 European countries. The Car Cost Index takes into account the various costs associated with owning and operating a company car in each country, including depreciation, interest, repairs, maintenance, tires, energy/fuel, taxes (excluding VAT) and fully comprehensive insurance.

Even though a complex mix of regulatory pressure, uneven market maturity and infrastructure bottlenecks characterize the European e-mobility market, this year's edition shows a clear change in the European mobility landscape. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are becoming the most economical leasing option in more countries and vehicle segments than ever before.

Electric cars cheaper in Western and Northern Europe

In most Western and Northern European countries, leasing a battery electric car is generally cheaper than leasing a petrol or diesel vehicle. This trend is now also gaining momentum in southern Europe, where BEVs are becoming increasingly competitive with vehicles with conventional combustion engines.

In 2025, car leasing across all vehicle categories was most expensive in Switzerland, while it was cheapest in Portugal, Belgium and Romania with costs of less than CHF 739 per month. Portugal and Belgium were the cheapest countries in Europe to drive a battery electric vehicle, with costs of less than CHF 595 per month.

BMW i4 impresses with better cost balance

Compared to the TCO of combustion engines, BEVs now have a more competitive TCO rate in more and more segments in European countries. For example, a high-end BEV such as the BMW i4 is already cheaper to maintain than the next comparable model with a gasoline engine in 66 percent of the countries surveyed (20 out of 30).

Switzerland: Highest leasing costs in Europe - but electrification still pays off

For Swiss companies, the result is clear: in 2025, Switzerland was one of the most expensive countries in Europe for leasing company vehicles - regardless of the provider. Due to generally higher vehicle, energy and tax costs, the average total cost of ownership here is significantly higher than the European average. At the same time, the index shows that battery electric vehicles are increasingly able to keep up with petrol and diesel vehicles even in this high-cost environment and are already the more economical choice in some segments.

«With the rapidly changing market, the Ayvens Car Cost Index is designed to help our customers make informed decisions when choosing their fleet vehicles,» says Antonio Arcaro, Commercial Director at Ayvens Switzerland. «For companies in Switzerland, looking at the total costs over four years is crucial: those who only look at the monthly leasing rate often draw the wrong conclusions. Because as soon as you factor in energy, maintenance and taxes, the electric vehicle, which seems expensive on the first day, often becomes the most economical option over the entire life cycle.»

Methodology of the study

The 30 countries included in the Car Cost Index are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The data is based on Ayvens’ estimated TCO (total cost of ownership) from the fourth quarter of 2025. In the 2026 index, the TCO is averaged based on a service life of four years and an annual mileage of 30,000 km. The term «competitive» is defined as follows in the index: Electric vehicles that are no more than 5 percent more expensive than their combustion engine counterparts.

You can find more information at ayvens.ch