Which electric car is most cost-effective at 20,000 km/year in Belgium?

At 20,000 km per year, you drive more than the Belgian average — around 14,000 km for a private motorist according to available data. This difference changes the EV profitability calculation quite sharply. Savings on fuel and maintenance accumulate faster. The payback period on the purchase price shortens.

The real question is not "is it profitable?" at this mileage. It is "which one, and for what use?"

Why does 20,000 km/year change the EV profitability calculation?

Let us start with the essentials: fuel.

A combustion driver doing 20,000 km/year with consumption of 6 L/100km spends €2,100/year at the pump (petrol at €1.75/L). In diesel at €1.70/L and 5.5 L/100km: €1,870/year.

The same distance in an EV with an Ioniq 6 charged at home at night (17.5 kWh/100km, €0.20/kWh during off-peak hours): €700/year.

That is a €1,400 difference on fuel alone, every year. Over 5 years: €7,000. Before even discussing registration tax, maintenance, or company deductibility.

What costs do TCO comparisons systematically forget?

Most online articles on EV profitability calculate fuel savings, stop there, and draw conclusions. That is incomplete.

Registration tax (TMC). In Belgium, an EV at 0g CO2 pays no registration tax in any region. An entry-level compact combustion car (120g CO2, 7 tax horsepower) pays between €900 and €1,800 depending on the region and model — once at registration, but that money does not come back.

Maintenance. A combustion car at 20,000 km/year generates significant annual costs: oil change + filter (€150), timing belt to amortise (€160/year), filters, spark plugs, more heavily used brakes. Counting broadly and honestly: between €650 and €850 per year depending on the model. An equivalent EV: MOT (€40), brake fluid, tyres, miscellaneous — around €200 to €250/year. The annual difference is €400 to €600.

Depreciation. This is where some EVs fall short. At 100,000 km after 5 years, the residual value of an entry-level EV may be lower than its combustion equivalent. This is a reality of the Belgian used car market, which is correcting over time but weighs in the complete calculation.

What is the total 5-year cost according to your budget and use?

Here is the complete TCO (purchase + registration tax + fuel + maintenance − estimated residual value) over 5 years and 100,000 km, under Belgian conditions.

Compact budget: Citroën ë-C3 vs Citroën C3 combustion

ë-C3 energy: 16 kWh/100km × €0.20/kWh × 100,000 km. C3 energy: 6.5 L/100km × €1.75/L × 100,000 km. Residual value estimated at 40% for both.

The ë-C3 saves around €8,800 over 5 years despite a purchase price €4,800 higher. The payback on the price difference comes at around 2.5 years at this mileage.

Condition for this calculation to hold: home charging. The ë-C3 has a 44 kWh battery and 246 km real-world range — more than enough for 20,000 km/year in mixed use if you return home every evening.

Mixed use, long journeys: Hyundai Ioniq 6 vs equivalent diesel

Ioniq 6 energy: 17.5 kWh/100km × €0.20/kWh × 100,000 km. Diesel: 6 L/100km × €1.70/L × 100,000 km. Residual value at 40% for both.

The Ioniq 6 costs €10,990 more to buy but the 5-year TCO favours it by €4,356. In mixed use with a few long journeys per year, its 800V architecture (350 kW fast charging) also reduces stop times — a real argument for a high-mileage driver.

The EV does not justify itself at purchase — it justifies itself in use. At 20,000 km/year with a home charger, the question is no longer whether it is profitable, it is when.

Is a company EV really profitable at 20,000 km/year in Belgium?

If you run a company or work as a self-employed individual, the figures above do not apply directly. Because the Belgian tax system changes everything.

100% deductibility for any EV ordered before 31 December 2026. An Ioniq 6 at €44,990 bought through your company is fully deductible. At a corporate tax rate of 25%, that is €11,248 less in tax. The real cost price before maintenance and fuel drops to around €33,742.

Favourable benefit in kind (BIK). The BIK (the taxable amount you pay personally if you use the vehicle for private purposes) is calculated with the minimum CO2 coefficient for EVs: 0.82. For an Ioniq 6 at €44,990:

Annual BIK = (€44,990 × 6/7) × 5.5% × 0.82 = ~€1,740/year

This is your personal taxable base for private use. By comparison, a diesel of the same value at 130g CO2 uses a coefficient of 1.40 → annual BIK = ~€2,970/year. At your marginal rate of 50%, that is over €600/year difference on your personal tax bill.

In summary for a self-employed person or SME at 20,000 km/year: over 4 years of ownership, an EV on operational lease or company purchase can cost 30 to 40% less than an equivalent diesel after all deductions.

Does public charging ruin profitability for a high-mileage driver?

This calculation depends on one condition: that you charge mainly at home. At 20,000 km/year, this is realistic if you have a charger at home and the majority of your journeys are daily (home-work, shopping, outings).

If you regularly make long journeys away from home — professional travel, frequent trips — and often charge on fast public chargers (€0.59 to €0.79/kWh), your electricity cost can triple.

At €0.70/kWh (public mix), the Ioniq 6 costs €12.25/100km in energy — more than a diesel. The savings on maintenance and registration tax remain, but profitability deteriorates significantly.

For a high-mileage driver who often charges in public: the Ioniq 6 with its 800V architecture minimises time lost charging (18 minutes for 10–80% on 350 kW) and the Tesla Model 3 gives access to the Supercharger network, the densest and best-priced in Europe (subscription ~€0.32/kWh).

Which electric car to choose according to your profile and mileage?

Your budget is ≤ €25,000 and you mostly drive in town and suburbs: the Citroën ë-C3 (€23,300) is the best TCO on the market in this size for 20,000 km/year. 246 km real-world range, sufficient if you charge every evening.

You do a mix of motorway/city with a few long journeys per year: the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (from €44,990) is the reference. Best efficiency on the market (17.5 kWh/100km), 800V for fast stops, 480 km real-world range. Best TCO in this range.

You often charge in public or need a reliable network: the Tesla Model 3 (from €42,990). The Supercharger network transforms long journeys — this is the most suitable car if you are often far from your charger.

You have a company or work as self-employed: any EV ordered before end of 2026, starting with the one that suits your use. The 100% deductibility means the exact model matters less than the decision to act before the deadline.