They got an early start in Paderborn. Five years ago, when the range of electric cars available in Germany was still quite limited, Caritas banished many of the diesel- and gasoline-fueled cars from its fleet and purchased electric cars and 45 e-bikes. In one fell swoop, the Catholic Church's charity organization became a pioneer in the fuel-loving republic. At the time, the CEOs of Germany's major car companies were still busy complaining about a lack of charging stations.
In no time at all, Caritas Paderborn had of its own charging stations installed. It all looked like a success story: According to Caritas, operating costs fell by 40 percent because electricity was cheaper than gasoline and the electric cars had to be serviced less often.
CO2 emissions from the vehicle fleet fell by around tons per year. But the situation has since changed. Officials at Caritas ran into a problem they weren't expecting: There aren't many electric cars around that the charity can afford, and leasing rates have risen sharply. Early on, Caritas sometimes paid less than 60 euros per month per vehicle. But today, new contracts cost euros, often even euros. E-cars are becoming less and less of a cost-saver for the organization. Caritas is now increasingly switching from VW or Smart to electric models from Renault or its budget brand Dacia.
But even these are often more expensive to lease than comparable combustion engines. Still, he says the charity organization will remain loyal to electric cars for "as long as we can afford it. Frustration among electric car buyers is helping to fuel a combustion boom. And it's not just at Caritas that the shift to electric cars has stalled.
The German federal government's central modernization project is in danger of failing. Not only is the German populace not playing along, but manufacturers haven't come up with attractive products and the political framework conditions still haven't been optimized. Electric car purchases remain the domain of those with healthier salaries.
