Electric or gas car: what does it really cost to own in Colombia?

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Not a cash rebate — a list-price gap: in Colombia the core EV benefit is structural, at the border. 100% electric cars come in duty-free (0% tariff), while Decreto 1432 de 2025 (MinComercio — the trade ministry's decree of 24-Dec-2025) raised the import tariff on gas and diesel cars from 35% to 40%. That widens the showroom price gap between EVs and ICE cars, but it is not money handed back to the buyer: that's why we model it at $0 and do not deduct it from the total cost above. The effect was immediate (EV sales +171% in Q1 2026, helped also by lower interest rates and Tesla's price war). Source: Decreto 1432/2025; ColombiaOne 08-Apr-2026; trade.gov Colombia tariffs, as of 1 July 2026. Confirm the current conditions before you buy.

Vehicle tax and estrato: not a rebate, but a tax you don't pay. Under Ley 1964 de 2019, a pure EV pays a departmental vehicle tax capped at 1% of commercial value (versus the progressive 1,5-3,5% a gas car pays), gets a 10% discount on SOAT (the mandatory traffic-accident insurance) and is exempt from pico y placa (the licence-plate driving restriction). We deduct this saving only from the EV's running cost, never from the gas car's, and since it varies by department we use a cautious estimate. On electricity: we use the full estrato 4 rate (~900 COP/kWh, unsubsidised), not the subsidised estrato 1/2/3 rates, because above the subsistence block every estrato pays the full rate — so a real charge at home costs the same whatever your estrato, and quoting a subsidised rate would inflate the EV's advantage. Basis: Ley 1964/2019 (MinEnergía/MinAmbiente); Enel-Codensa/EPM residential rates, as of 1 July 2026.