From: Lennart Thornros
I am not in agreement with that electricity is cheap.
JR: It is much cheaper than gasoline per mile in an automobile.
LT: You are now including energy taxes and big brother's energy politics. That
is fine with me as that is my main idea that we are so over regulated that even
the faintest hint of common sense cannot be made. No, Jed electricity is not
cheap.
Ø About 4 times cheaper, depending on the cost of gasoline.
Not in Sept. 2015. Today, with the drop in fuel cost, electricity is about 2
times cheaper, on average, but not everywhere; and most of that is due to no
road tax on electricity – not the relative cost of fuel at the pump.
In California, electricity is double the national average and the cost per mile
can be more expensive than gasoline - especially if you have a high mileage
hybrid vehicle like the Prius (even if you never charge the car from the grid) !
In any event, it’s not fair to compare the best EV against the worst gas hog.
The cost has been well studied. Our government (DoE) says this:
“Comparing Energy Costs per Mile for Electric and Gasoline-Fueled Vehicles”
The fuel cost of driving an electric vehicle depends on the cost of electricity
per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and the energy efficiency of the vehicle. The national
average cost for electricity in the U.S. (average residential rate) is about
11.7 cents per kWh. Average electric vehicles have energy efficiencies of about
2 miles per kWh. The average cost in the USA for electric cars is therefore
about 6 cents per mile. However, in much of California and several other
states, the cost per mile is close to twice the national average.
The average gasoline mileage is 22 mi/gal. A gasoline vehicle with an energy
efficiency of
22 miles per gallon costs about 11 cents per mile when gasoline costs $2.40 per
gallon and 17 cents per mile when fuel is $3.60. A few years ago, gasoline was
more expensive than electricity almost everywhere, but not today.
In the largest state, with by far the most cars, the recent cost of gasoline
per mile for a hybrid, which never needs a grid charge, can be less per mile
than the cost of electricity per mile for all electric (Tesla).
That will change, and many of us still want all-electric. Where do I sign up
for the Model 3 ??
Jones
