In addition to many other items, motorists also pay motor vehicle and mineral oil tax. Apparently, this does not cover costs, as a study suggests.
Car costs are much higher than expected - both individually and for society. One now in the journal "Ecological EconomicsAccording to a published study, the general public subsidizes every driver with around 5.000 euros a year. So-called external costs such as road construction, environmental damage and expenses for parking space.
Holders have some issues
The researchers Stefan Gössling, Jessica Kees and Todd Litman considered ten individual cost factors and calculated them using three prototype car models as an example. The sum of the annual subsidies was 4.674 euros for the Opel Corsa small car, 4.775 euros for the compact VW Golf and 5.273 euros for the Mercedes GLC mid-range SUV.
In addition to the associated costs, there are also expenses for the owner. The researchers calculated this for the small car at 6.704 euros per year, for the compact car at 7.657 euros and for the SUV at 12.899 euros. Anyone driving a corresponding model for 50 years would have spent at least 352.074 euros in the end. For the SUV it would even be 679.167 euros. Acquisition and fixed costs as well as costs for repairs and maintenance as well as for parking and tolls were taken into account. Overall, the annual costs for individuals and society add up to 11.378 euros for a small car. An SUV costs 18.171 euros.
Where does the study on car costs come from
The researchers draw the conclusion that the German mobility system is organized inefficiently and unfairly. Drivers with low and middle incomes and people without their own car bear a disproportionately high share of the external costs of driving. The authors of the study work at the Swedish Linnaeus University, for the Transportation Think Tank in Berlin and the Victoria Transport Policy Institute. In principle, the figures determined using the German example should also be transferrable to other countries.
