Electric Vehicles Cost effective

[firemachine69]

I think the Volt will make people actually be aware of their electricity consumption, and plan accordingly.

OTOH, this may lead to the electric companies playing the same game gas companies do at the pumps (hourly rate changes).

 

[tom slick]

If it costs $1 per day to charge that's $20 per month, $240 per year.

The difference in costs, with charging in mind, is $190 per month in the $40k electric vehicle's favor. If that was deposited into an account at 3.5% interest you'd SAVE $2,774 per year. over your 60 month loan you'd SAVE $12,438

that would be enough to pay for batteries.

even if it costs $5 per day to charge you'd still be $5,890 ahead after 5 years.

 

[chevrofreak]

Honestly, my main draw to electric cars is because I'm still a kid at heart. I grew up playing with electric RC cars and had an absolute blast with them. Now, I want an adult sized version. The fact that they're cheap to run is a bonus.

I'm a gadget freak, and an electric car is just one giant gadget.

 

[Duffman77]

Originally Posted By: firemachine69
I think the Volt will make people actually be aware of their electricity consumption, and plan accordingly.

OTOH, this may lead to the electric companies playing the same game gas companies do at the pumps (hourly rate changes).


I think it would be a benificial thing if they moved to price descriminating based on time of day. A lot of unused capacity is wasted in the middle of the night because nobody is made to think about it. If you were given a break on electricity at 3AM would you run more appliances like your dishwasher on its timer to shift consumption?

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Duffman77
A lot of unused capacity is wasted in the middle of the night


They solved that problem with heatpumps in the colder climates.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: Duffman77
Originally Posted By: firemachine69
I think the Volt will make people actually be aware of their electricity consumption, and plan accordingly.

OTOH, this may lead to the electric companies playing the same game gas companies do at the pumps (hourly rate changes).


I think it would be a benificial thing if they moved to price descriminating based on time of day. A lot of unused capacity is wasted in the middle of the night because nobody is made to think about it. If you were given a break on electricity at 3AM would you run more appliances like your dishwasher on its timer to shift consumption?


Sure. Right now there are hydro-electric plants that pump up water during the night when there's no demand for power (they can buy it cheap) and then they sell it at a profit during peak demand. You would cut them out of the game and they would have to start producing power as the natural water flow allowed.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: XS650
I've had two power outages due to rolling blackouts in the past 10 years, the last one 7 years ago. Both were under an hour.

As long as people plug their cars in at night when there is extra capacity, there won't be much of a problem.


Wait till 2010. You'll have more. (unless they change the law or more likely just fine the $%#^& out of the evil electric companies.)

The 20% by 2010, 27% by 2015 and 33% by 2020 will raise your costs well beyond what your paying now. (and cause more outages)

Southern part of your state is up to 6% as of last year... (less than 2 years to go)

And what do we do with all those batteries once they are used up? I'm sure the EPA and whatever in CA is in change of waste will have something to say (and pass a law) about them.

The government is here to help us...

What we need to do is get off the road all these coast to coast Semi trucks getting 4-6 mpg and put them on trains. Have depots that semis go and get their loads and deliver within 150 miles.

Take that fuel savings and allow for simple turbo diesel engines with out all the EPA/CARB [censored] that get 60+ MPG in cars.

Then start working on a better transportion system (rail, light rail, electric buses and Nuke Power plants)

Take care, bill

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
What we need to do is get off the road all these coast to coast Semi trucks getting 4-6 mpg and put them on trains. Have depots that semis go and get their loads and deliver within 150 miles.


The federal highway network (a national defense program) destroyed the railroads. I think rail is 20X (or was it 50

) more efficient than OTR ..and 200X that of airfreight.

Time is the lost resource with rail.

 

[ZZman]

Where are the fuel efficent trucks? They are about as aerodynamic as a brick. Why no really aerodynamic bullet train looking semi's out there?

I wonder if they could make them more efficient by using a Hybrid system with high torque electric motors for getting them up to speed?

 

[firemachine69]

They had an article in Highway Star about Kensworth and others (iirc) looking for MPG improvements. Biggest winners were double-sized single tag tires, air spoiler on top of the truck, and rounded faces.

 

[Drew2000]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan


Time is the lost resource with rail.



FWIW, the railroads have been offering premium third and fourth day coast to coast intermodal service for almost 10 years now. Regular intermodal is only about 5-6 days.

Even non time-sensitve cargos like lumber and chemicals move through the system pretty quick now, and take about 4-5 trucks off the road per 240,000 pound carload.

High fuel prices will make rail more important than ever in the comming years.

http://www.bnsf.com/media/news/articles/2001/08/2001-08-16a.html

Drew