My current motorcycle is very fuel efficient (sorry, no time to convert it). I made a simple Excel spreadsheet that allows me to enter miles, gallons and cost at each fill-up. It then displays tank average mpg, lifetime mpg, and dollar savings per tank and overall compared to our 26 mpg gas car. The savings add up fast.
A similar spreadsheet could be written for an EV. I think if more people did it there would be much more discussion of savings from EVs. And people would see that when it comes time to replace a tired pack for $10k, it's not so bad considering their lifetime savings are maybe $12k at that point. Chris On Jul 23, 2013 4:46 AM, "brucedp5" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > http://www.plugincars.com/rising-gasoline-prices-help-electric-cars-make-economic-sense-127740.html > Rising Gas Prices Help Economic Case for Electric Cars > By David Herron July 16, 2013 > > [image > http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/Gas-prices-rising-620.jpg > ] > > Those of us who drive electric cars might be blissfully unaware that U.S. > average gasoline prices have jumped nearly 15 cents in the last week. If > the > price continues to rise, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration > predicts, then drivers of inefficient gas-powered cars could really start > feeling some pain. But how far do gas prices need to rise, and how much > pain > must arrive at the pumps, before the balance of mainstream consumer > interest > tips decisively toward electric vehicles? > > Based solely on fuel price, electric cars are a huge win over gasoline or > diesel powered equivalents. That's because electricity as a fuel is not > only > cheaper than gasoline, but its prices is more stable (thanks to a regulated > electricity market). Of course, don't forget to add lower maintenance costs > for electric vehicles on the ledger in favor EV economics. > Apples to Apples? > > The national average price of gasoline is $3.67 a gallon, but what is the > equivalent for electric fuel? We can't directly compare the two because > electricity doesn't come in gallons. It's supplied in kilowatt-hours. Yet, > there is a way to calculate the equivalency: according to the U.S. > Department of Energy, the national average equivalent is $1.18 an eGallon. > That's a whopping $2.50 a gallon in savings. > > If you want to perform the calculation yourself, here's the formula used by > the D.O.E. to determine the price of an eGallon: > > eGallon ($/gal) = EP * FE * EC > > Department of Energy eGallon Methodology > > The entries in the formula are FE = fuel economy of a gasoline car > (miles/gallon); EC = electricity consumption (kilowatt-hours/mile) for an > electric car; and EP = electricity price ($/kilowatt-hour). This is a tool > you can use to compare between specific gasoline and electric cars, while > accounting for the price you pay for electricity. > Tipping Point > > Obviously, savings go up when the gasoline prices rise, or electricity > prices fall. It helps that many utilities grant favorable electricity rates > to electric vehicle owners, especially if they charge their vehicle after > midnight. > > But here's the nagging question: Are the savings at the pump enough for > consumers to overcome any upfront price premium for an electric car? > Battery > packs are expensive. Many analysts believe battery pack prices will drop > over the next few years, due to improvements in technology and economies of > scale. A year ago, McKinsey Quarterly predicted a dramatic price decrease > for battery packs by 2020 to 2025, and in May, G.M's chief executive Dan > Akerson said the next generation Volt would be a lot cheaper. > > So, given that fuel savings help pay for the premium, fluctuations in gas > prices are more likely to have an immediate impact on consumer perception > about the economics of EVs, instead of falling battery prices that move on > a > more steady long-term incremental path. > > Regardless, at some point, there will be a major convergence, when the two > trend lines—rising gasoline prices and falling battery prices—crisscross to > tip the balance toward electric vehicles. We might get little previews of > that future in the coming weeks as gas prices rise, but unfortunately, we > don't when a major tipping point will occur. It could be a matter of weeks, > or might take many years. > [©2013 PluginCars.com] > > > > > For all EVLN posts use: > > http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date > > Here are today's archive-only EV posts: > > EVLN: Andretti Autosport Racing Electrics in September 2014 > EVLN: 4500% Increase In UK's Electric Highway Use > EVLN: Goodwood FoS: Podium Finish For Drayson Racing EV > EVLN: Spark EV, The Best Electric Car You Can’t Buy > EVLN: Tesla "confident" Model S production will increase by ~2015 > + > EVLN: How Long Do EV Batteries Last? Tesla Gives Our Answer > > > {brucedp.150m.com} > > > > -- > View this message in context: > http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Rising-Gas-Prices-Help-Economic-Case-for-Electric-Cars-tp4664380.html > Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at > Nabble.com. > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA ( > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20130723/8ef9dbfe/attachment.htm> _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
