ᐅ How to live an environmentally friendly life?

Musketier schrieb:

Even though I would like to switch the vehicle to a BEV, it is extremely difficult to find economic benefits with a BEV, even with a photovoltaic system.

We converted ours three years ago, and I personally see many advantages, especially due to the photovoltaic system. From about April until October, we basically refuel at zero cost through our photovoltaic system.
Recently, a friend of mine privately purchased an MG5 as a one-year-old car for around €18,000–19,000, and for example, our current Kia commuter car at 15,000 km (9,300 miles) per year costs exactly €235 in leasing fees. I don’t consider that expensive, since I usually get about seven years of warranty and a brand-new, very comfortable car.
In my view, a photovoltaic system only becomes really worthwhile through the use of a BEV, and if you search carefully, there are already some truly affordable offers available today.

Despite being an entry-level model, the Astra already includes several comfort features like keyless entry/navigation/LED headlights/seat heating, which my wife is reluctant to do without. These features often exclude the cheaper base models from other manufacturers, requiring an upgrade to the next trim level. Additionally, it is very economical to drive. Of course, with 110 hp it’s not a sports car, but it doesn’t need to be.

Since SUVs and Chinese manufacturers are generally not an option for my wife, the choices are limited. The Inster is practical but very much a matter of personal taste. I also like the e208 as a small car, but it seems that only the facelift model with a larger motor and battery is convincing in terms of efficiency. I like the EV3 and Kona, but they are SUVs. The ID3, Born, and Elroc are over the 300€ leasing price for 10,000 km.

Acknowledging that a typical street parker is unlikely to switch first, I tell myself that as an owner of a photovoltaic system and a single-family house, I should take the lead here. I also imagine that prices might adjust again once the CO2 tax comes into effect in 2027. I see less of a waste of resources since the car is not destroyed but resold.

Musketier schrieb:

Since I realize that typical street parkers are not the first to switch, I tell myself that as a photovoltaic system owner and single-family house occupant, one should take on the pioneering role here.

Definitely. Charging electricity is simply too expensive when you have to charge externally.

The Born starts at €280 for 48/10,000 or the Elroc at €199 for 48/10,000.

Arauki11 schrieb:

Recently, a friend of mine bought an MG5 as an annual used car privately for about €18,000-19,000, and for example, our current Kia race car costs exactly €235 in leasing fees per month at 15,000 km/year.

I agree with you.
However, we only have average fuel costs of around €70 per month. If I apply the operational depreciation over 6 years, I would have about €200 in value loss. In reality, due to price increases, it’s probably somewhere between €50 and €70.
Maintenance and wear have never been more than €50-60 per month, and vehicle taxes are less than €10 per month.
Of course, upkeep and depreciation could sometimes be higher.
Currently, my total costs are still below the leasing fees, while for leasing costs there are additional expenses for maintenance and lost feed-in tariff of about 7.x cents/kWh in summer or electricity costs of around 30 cents/kWh in winter.
From a purely financial perspective, switching to a BEV does not make sense at the moment.

The MG4 and 5 offer a very good price-performance ratio, and the MG4 would be ideal size-wise, but as Chinese brands they are not an option for my wife.

nordanney schrieb:

The Born starts at €280 for 48 months/10,000 km, or the Elroq at €199 for 48 months/10,000 km.

At least the offer for the Elroq is probably only for commercial customers. I found the offer only in the business sector. With the desired optional equipment, I was at €290 for private leasing at Leasing.m.rkt.

MachsSelbst schrieb:

That's not how it works. We live the way we do today because the people before us were not satisfied with what they had...

Now that we recognize resources are finite, it's time for a behavior change, or we follow the Titanic's strategy and say, "As long as the music plays." This change in behavior cannot be imposed on every individual alone. It requires a collective societal effort. How exactly this should work—I don’t have a solution either. There is only a true necessity, meaning a need to turn things around.

MachsSelbst schrieb:

And it simply makes no sense to produce gasoline from electrical energy with high losses, only to burn it in an engine with about 30% efficiency.

100% agreed.

MachsSelbst schrieb:

Natural gas or methane for heating, whether in homes or industry.
It can be used with 100% efficiency and stored in huge quantities in the simplest possible way.

I agree, especially since temporary local overcapacities can be used here and seasonal shifts in production and demand during heating can be balanced.

I can compare all illusions here with reality... For the past 1.5 years, I have been driving a BEV as a company car, and meanwhile the company allows diesels again because electric vehicles are too expensive for field service use. So, a step backward—two years ago, ordering diesel vehicles was no longer allowed...

Fast charging on the highway is expensive, and depending on the route, it adds 1–2 hours to travel time. Two oil changes in three years do not make up for that...

Resource management will play out like everything else. When things get really tight, there will be a war, and afterward, people will reflect again. I don’t see humanity coming together sensibly to reach an agreement. You have to be on the brink of collapse before anything changes. Competition, rivalry, and conflict are part of human nature. Everyone knows that on a small scale; I had to find my wife myself—she wasn’t assigned to me, since it would be unfair if not everyone had one.

The left-green dreamers don’t like to hear this, but we will have to make enormous adjustments if we want to play a role in this century...