MegaWonder wrote:
Gdetrailer wrote:
Big Katuna wrote:
Check out energy prices for PA on this website.
clicky
Sorry, those rates are only showing the ELECTRIC GENERATION COST, PERIOD. It does not include ALL of the other CHARGES and costs and taxes..
The generation rate IS THE CHEAP PART OF THE BILL.
You can not compare of make a good judgement by using those numbers.
As I stated and you have SEEN my numbers the ACTUAL electric bill IS costing me $.31 to $.35 PER Kwh. That is a long way away from using that website info at $.08 per Kwh!
Comparing the generation rate cost is apples to oranges and does not reflect the real and true cost of your electric bill.
When comparing an electric car to gas and the energy costs associated you need to take the ENTIRE ELECTRIC BILL Kwh cost, not the generation cost. Tells a more realistic story.
When you buy a gallon of gas you ARE PAYING state road taxes, Federal road excise taxes. Take those taxes away (IE ignore the taxes) and you will find an electric car IS many times more expensive to operate.
Gas/diesel unlike all other items is priced AT THE PUMP WITH THOSE TAXES FIGURED IN.
Anything else you buy the tax is not included in the price and is added on at the end of the sale.. Your electric bill does not include road taxes but it IS taxed after all the other charges are added to the bill.
Hi Gdtrailer,
I do not see how I am kidding myself on the fact that we are saving (in our case) work commuting cost over our 19mpg/20mpg gas vehicle. I admit i could be wrong but I am not seeing it could you enlighten me?
Our electric service is PSE&G. https://www.pseg.com/info/environment/ev/rlm-rs_rates.jsp
Our electric vehicle has been averaging 4.5 to 4.9 miles KwH during a 500 mile work week commute.
Looking at OUR electric bill I see a service charge $2.43 (this charge would be regardless if we have EV or not. Looking at break down of charges per Kwh and looking at the highest portion I see the following: Distribution Charges $0.067041588 and Supply $0.133809524 I see no other disclosure of any extra charges/taxes etc.
So can I take these 2 highest display charges add them together and get $0.200851112 Kwh charge?
Take that number and multiply how many Kwh I need to use to go 500 miles which would be at the lower efficiency 111.11111 Kwh? = aprox $22.32 to go 500 miles? *** But factor in the work per of charging 9 hrs a day at the nice rate and very appreciative of $0 So OUR electric bill is a heck of a lot less FOR US not kidding myself LOL.
To compare to our 19mpg..even at say 20mpg our gas vehicle..to go 500miles/20mpg=25gallons gas.
25gallons at even a low jersey rate of TODAYS RATE WAWa $2.00 (gasoline was over $2.50 gallon last year when we got EV) TODAY would cost us $50 per week.
Now add in the maintance oil filter changes 3k/5k @ $20 to $32 ..tire rotations 6k/7k @ $25/$30 ,Tranny flush 25k service ($120) more brake wear..and other ICE vehicle related issues.
Yes I guess I am kidding myself in OUR SITUATION.
Maintenance charges?
Lets see, my trucks take 7 quarts of oil at $2.40 per quart = $16.80 plus $3.50 for an oil filter, oil changes at 7,500 per manufacturers recommendation.
Tire rotations? You PAY for that?. GOOD tire shops DO NOT CHARGE to rotate. Your EV car will ALSO need tire rotation so really that doesn't get you out of that..
Tranny flush at 25K miles? You are visiting the wrong places, typical recommended tranny oil change is 60K miles.. Tranny oil is not expensive should be less than $50.. You have been getting soaked for service.
Brake wear?
You WILL have that on a EV car so that is a wash also, they DO have brakes..
As far as wearing out brakes, my trucks easily get 80K to 100K miles before I have to change the pads.. Typically my rotors last through two sets of pads..
If you are not getting more than 50K miles on a set of pads, you are doing something wrong.
You are forgetting one huge issue with a EV car.. The battery.
Your EV battery IS a "wear" item, typically most auto batteries will last 8-10yrs without problems.. But those batteries get charged as soon as the engine starts..
A EV car, not so.. I would hate to see the replacement cost of a EV battery, most likely that battery would cost more than the car is worth..
Good chance even with all the Gov backed "incentives" your EV car cost more than a ICE car.. So you still pay more but not in electric or gas..
Don't get me wrong, I am not against EV cars, if anything I have a rather vested interest in them since I do own a early 1900s electric car which was eventually converted to a GASOLINE engine!
I am a realist, EV cars can work in a "city" type of environment but like the EV cars of the past they still have huge limitations..
It also has been proven the "hybrid" cars (EV with ICE backup) tend to get worse highway mileage than a ICE only.. Hybrids do get a slightly better city mileage than a ICE car but the drawback is hybrids cost much more upfront.
If you weight the fact that modern day EVs really don't have all that much more "range" than the late 1890s you have to admit that we still are not there yet.
Put it into perspective, one of the early pioneers of EV cars by 1901, had realized that batteries were a huge weak spot and sold his company off and he joined another car company (which built steam cars) as chief engineer to design their FIRST ICE automobile..
