While we can talk about the rational and economic factors of electric vs dino juice vs hybrid all day long, most car choices and purchases are emotional, not rational. It doesn' treally matter whether you think your saving money or the environment - you're going to buy the latest technology, or old technology as you want. I admit that my fixation on Mercedes is not necessarily a rational decision. I expect to keep the 300Ds a long time - the van and the ML are throw away cars to be used up. I'd like to play with an electric car, just for the instant torque, braking regeneration, etc. One with a serial Diesel generator would be cool for the ability to travel long distances. However, it's for emotional reasons, not rational ones.
On Sun, Jun 19, 2011 at 8:43 PM, Tim C <bb...@crone.us> wrote: > On Sun, Jun 19, 2011 at 9:26 PM, Mitch Haley <m...@voyager.net> wrote: > > It looks like a Chevy Dolt can, without using climate control, do about > 35 > > miles on 13kWh, so your .5kWh per mile was actually conservative. > > Hobbyist numbers, converting by removing gas engines and adding > batteries does not yield the ideal car form factor. Usually assumes > lead-acid (heavy) batteries, too. > > > You mentioned not paying 10 cents, what do you pay? > > My marginal cost of electricity is about 22 cents in the summer and 14 > cents > > in the winter. > > .092 last month. Nuclear country, thanks Max! > > > It'd still take longer than the batteries will live to pay back the cost > of > > trading in an SDL on a Dolt with fuel savings. And some of those fuel > > savings will go away when they figure out a way to make electric drivers > pay > > road tax. > > Sure, and the SDL is more fun (and spacious). On the other hand I > have a hybrid already, so my e-car purchase would be a Leaf, which > saves carrying the gas engine around all the time. And it'd be for > SWMBO, not me, and she's not as content driving a "beat-up old" car > like the SDL, and certainly not the 300D. SWMBO happy is a value > without price. :) > > ...although the more practical question is, would the battery outlive > the SDL's transmission? My money is on yes, but my hope is on no. > May or may not be able to outlast the hybrid if I drive it into the > ground, which I fully intend to do. > > NC has proposed GPS monitoring for road tax, but I think even here it > wouldn't fly. I expect we'll see additive default road tax (assume > 20Kmi@30mpg or something) on property tax forms for EVs in the coming > years, all of NC pays property taxes on automobiles already so it's > just a matter of the counties collecting incrementally for the state. > > -Tim > waits three seconds for reverse > -- OK Don 2001 ML320 1992 300D 2.5T 1990 300D 2.5T 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
