Study Claims EV Recharging Is Substantially Cheaper Than Pulling Up To The Pump

Study Claims EV Recharging Is Substantially Cheaper Than Pulling Up To The Pump

According to a recent analysis from research and consulting firm Northeast Group LLC, the cost to recharge an electric vehicle (EV) - under current utility EV tariffs - is much lower than that of fueling a gas-powered vehicle.

"In all scenarios we studied, the costs to recharge an electric vehicle were cheaper than fueling a gasoline-powered car," the company says. "In the most likely EV charging scenarios, costs were approximately one-tenth to half the costs of fueling a conventional vehicle with gasoline."

The report notes that utilities are encouraging the adoption of EVs by introducing specific tariffs to their customers. These tariffs take different forms, ranging from time-of-use tariffs to flat-rate tariffs. Utilities are now studying which tariffs will best accommodate an increasing number of EVs.

The study, which looked specifically at fueling expenses and not other EV operating costs...


http://www.renewgridmag.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.7040

I've already had one conversation with the local Jeep dealer (I'm driving my 1995 Grand Cherokee until I can afford something better, meanwhile, gave them my feelings about EV's). They insist the cost of the battery and it's maintenance (eventual life) are cost prohibitive to make the EV worth-while.

I'll simply not be a Jeep person after this baby can't run anymore... and the data is helpful.

maintenance costs should also be a little less, with no engine or transmission to deal with.

But, you can buy a 40mpg Cruze for 15 grand less than a Leaf or Volt, so there's that cost that may or may not be made up in gas savings. Running out of juice in a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere must have some kind of cost. And, as long as there's that tax incentive for buying electric, we're all paying something for your new car.

to see just how reliable they are and what the replacement cost will be. You can expect to go around 150K with no major engine or transmission work nowdays.

I do suspect my next back and forth to work car will be electric purchased in about 5-10 years from now.

Nissan Looks to Energy Storage for Old Leaf Battery Packs
Leaf battery will last much longer than the vehicle will

Shane McGlaun (Blog) - July 11, 2011 12:49 PM

Nissan is working on what to do with the battery packs inside of its Leaf EV once they have reached EOL status for automotive duties. Once the vehicles are at the end of their life, the batteries will still have a very large percentage of their charge capacity.

Nissan says that the battery will likely have 80% of its original capacity when the car is ready for the scrap heap and have use in other markets such as energy storage. Nissan is looking years down the road when the Leaf is aging and there are old battery packs on the market. To find a green and profitable use for the old batteries, Nissan is pursuing the possible use for the batteries in storing electricity.

The push to find a viable way to recycle the batteries also comes not long after the massive tsunami devastated parts of Japan and blackouts were common from damaged electrical plants.

Nissan has demonstrated a new system that uses old Leaf battery packs. The system has four Leaf batteries in a cellar inside a Nissan building. These batteries are hooked to 488 solar panels on the roof of the building. Nissan reports that the battery packs store energy the solar panels create. The power created is enough to charge 1,800 Leaf vehicles per year.

The Detroit News reports...

http://www.dailytech.com/Nissan+Looks+to+Energy+Storage+for+Old+Leaf+Battery+Packs/article22119.htm

but actual results may be different. For example gear boxes on wind mills - rated for more life than actually achieved.

I think the idea of strapping the battery packs together to go along with renewable energy storage sounds like a great idea. These could also be used for base load balancing in a grid.

Gasoline vehicles have had over 100 years to grow and develop and they have the infrastructure that EVs don't currently have in most places. I suspect that as gas prices rise and more people buy EVs at least as a second vehicle the infrastructure will be put in place and the development and refinement will occur. The trouble with car manufacturers is that they refuse to give us cars we want and insist no one wants them. My husband has wanted a small diesel truck that they have in other countries but refuse to sell here saying no one wants them here. But lots actually do from what my husband says as he has talked to several and many were on a list for a truck that was supposed to come here.

But I digress. I think that people will buy EVs when they feel comfortable the infrastructure will be there and they won't be stranded in a snowstorm with it. And this idea that they are clown cars that has been sold to americans doesn't help either. There was a nice campaign put out there to put an impression of what an electric car was that did a nice job of making them not desirable. But I think that will change as people see them out there and see them working well and looking like regular cars. And as gas prices go up. I look forward to the day I will be able to get an electric car.

Here in Connecticut, I pay 67 cents per gallon in State and Federal road use tax. My 2007 Impala gets over 30 MPG on the highway, which means I'm paying about 2.25 cent per mile in taxes. At the present time electric vehicles in Connecticut pay no road use tax, but the state legislature is looking at ways to charge them in the future.

That will reduce the cost savings of electric cars when that tax gets added, and rest assured, when EV's move beyond the novelty stage, they will figure out a way to tax road usage.