An electric car won’t save you money

[Chainsawmassacre]

If you think an e vehicle is cheaper to own think again. Even at today’s gas prices you won’t even break even until you own your e car from eight to 13 years.

Don't Swap Your Gas-Guzzler for an Electric Vehicle to Avoid High Fuel Prices

EVs make a lot of sense, especially as fuel prices climb, but avoid knee-jerk impulses to buy an electric car just to save money at the pump.

www.cnet.com

 

[The Mark]

If you think an e vehicle is cheaper to own think again. Even at today’s gas prices you won’t even break even until you own your e car from eight to 13 years.

Don't Swap Your Gas-Guzzler for an Electric Vehicle to Avoid High Fuel Prices

EVs make a lot of sense, especially as fuel prices climb, but avoid knee-jerk impulses to buy an electric car just to save money at the pump.

www.cnet.com

They base that on new vehicle prices.

IMO you should never buy a new vehicle, but I suppose someone has to or there wouldn't be used ones.

 

[Allan]

If you think an e vehicle is cheaper to own think again. Even at today’s gas prices you won’t even break even until you own your e car from eight to 13 years.

Don't Swap Your Gas-Guzzler for an Electric Vehicle to Avoid High Fuel Prices

EVs make a lot of sense, especially as fuel prices climb, but avoid knee-jerk impulses to buy an electric car just to save money at the pump.

www.cnet.com

They didn't figure maintenance into the equations. With far fewer parts and less complexity electric vehicles are much cheaper to maintain. The cost is about 1/2 according to Consumer Reports.

 

[The Mark]

They didn't figure maintenance into the equations. With far fewer parts and less complexity electric vehicles are much cheaper to maintain.

As I understand it, the battery pack is the big cost in there, and it's storage capacity reduces over time.
This is an issue to check if looking at used electric vehicles, I think?

 

[Buzz]

They didn't figure maintenance into the equations. With far fewer parts and less complexity electric vehicles are much cheaper to maintain. The cost is about 1/2 according to Consumer Reports.

Not to mention the likelihood that gas prices are going to continue going up at a much higher rate than electricity is.

 

[Allan]

As I understand it, the battery pack is the big cost in there, and it's storage capacity reduces over time.
This is an issue to check if looking at used electric vehicles, I think?

Definitely important to consider. But the lifespan of important and expensive IC components is also an issue is a car is driven for a long time. As for the EV batteries they're good for 10 - 20 years. They have a warranty for a minimum of 8 year/100 miles according to Car & Driver.

 

[The Mark]

Not to mention the likelihood that gas prices are going to continue going up at a much higher rate than electricity is.

I'm actually wondering something about electric vehicles.

For people in my situation, renting an apartment with no garage, and probably having to ask the landlord for permission to plug in or install a charger, is it feasible to let an electric vehicle sit for weeks without a trickle charge? Or would you have to take it to a charging station every so often?

 

[Buzz]

I'm actually wondering something about electric vehicles.

For people in my situation, renting an apartment with no garage, and probably having to ask the landlord for permission to plug in or install a charger, is it feasible to let an electric vehicle sit for weeks without a trickle charge? Or would you have to take it to a charging station every so often?

Obviously, an e vehicle would not be a logical choice for someone in your situation. But I am sure that in the near future apartment complexes will start offering garages and parking stalls with charging stations for their renters.

 

[The Mark]

Obviously, an e vehicle would not be a logical choice for someone in your situation. But I am sure that in the near future apartment complexes will start offering garages and parking stalls with charging stations for their renters.

It's an old house built in WWII and I rent half of it.

I probably would have to move.

 

[Allan]

Obviously, an e vehicle would not be a logical choice for someone in your situation. But I am sure that in the near future apartment complexes will start offering garages and parking stalls with charging stations for their renters.

I bet they will as a way of generating revenue and providing the service for renters. With more and more people driving EVs they'll have to do it eventually and there'll probably be subsidies to install the chargers.

 

[Mr Person]

If you think an e vehicle is cheaper to own think again. Even at today’s gas prices you won’t even break even until you own your e car from eight to 13 years.

Don't Swap Your Gas-Guzzler for an Electric Vehicle to Avoid High Fuel Prices

EVs make a lot of sense, especially as fuel prices climb, but avoid knee-jerk impulses to buy an electric car just to save money at the pump.

www.cnet.com

We need coal powered cars

 

[Buzz]

It's an old house built in WWII and I rent half of it.

I probably would have to move.

Well... if you were to pay for the installation of a charging station, and since you would have to leave it when you moved out. I'll bet you your landlord might be fine with you installing one. It would increase the value of the apartment.

 

[Lovebug]

It isn't just about the money.

 

[KingLeo]

Consumers Reports has shown that average maintenance costs are much lower on full electric vehicles versus gas powered.

 

[SkyChief]

We need coal powered cars

Depending on where you charge your EV, you might already be driving a coal powered car.

 

[PoS]

They base that on new vehicle prices.

IMO you should never buy a new vehicle, but I suppose someone has to or there wouldn't be used ones.

Go ahead and buy a used EV with a degraded battery and tell us how it works out.

 

[The Mark]

Go ahead and buy a used EV with a degraded battery and tell us how it works out.

Why would I intentionally do something dumb?

 

[ApersonLIKEallOFyou]

They base that on new vehicle prices.

IMO you should never buy a new vehicle, but I suppose someone has to or there wouldn't be used ones.

I haven’t paid as much attention as I did a few months ago when my wife and I bought a car, but then there wasn’t much difference between new and used car prices.

 

[longview]

I'm actually wondering something about electric vehicles.

For people in my situation, renting an apartment with no garage, and probably having to ask the landlord for permission to plug in or install a charger, is it feasible to let an electric vehicle sit for weeks without a trickle charge? Or would you have to take it to a charging station every so often?

Since no one answered your question, I looked it up, and the Tesla UK owners forum said this.
How to reduce battery drain (aka vampire drain) when you leave your Tesla parked up (Phantom Drain)

The Model S & X should lose around 1-4 miles or 1-3% per day (often known as vampire drain), however, it varies dramatically on the settings you have enabled and the outside temperature etc. Here are a few examples of what other owners have to say:

The real life example show it does loose some of it's charge, but ~1% per day is not that bad.

 

[Chainsawmassacre]

They didn't figure maintenance into the equations. With far fewer parts and less complexity electric vehicles are much cheaper to maintain. The cost is about 1/2 according to Consumer Reports.

Maintenance difference is substantial but in ten years the EV would need new batteries which would likely be break even with accumulated maintenance cost of conventional car over that time frame.

 

[Chainsawmassacre]

Not to mention the likelihood that gas prices are going to continue going up at a much higher rate than electricity is.

That's not a given. As more people plug in cost of electricity will rise unless it somehow defies the law of supply and demand. At the same time gas prices could moderate as fewer people filled up based on the same economic law.

 

[longview]

That's not a given. As more people plug in cost of electricity will rise unless it somehow defies the law of supply and demand. At the same time gas prices could moderate as fewer people filled up based on the same economic law.

There are also other considerations, beyond pure batter electric cars, like hybrids and plug in hybrids.
If we take an average driver, 12,000 miles a year in say a Camry that gets between 25 and 30 mpg.
That is about 440 gallons of gas a year, which at $4.00 a gallon is $1760 a year.
Now take the Camry hybrid at 51 mpg, that is only 241 gallons a year, which means gas could be as high as
$7.33 a gallon for the same miles to have equal costs, anything less than that is a real savings.
The plug in hybrids may be the best of both worlds, giving local electric transport, but the longer range and flexibility
of using gasoline when demanded.

 

[Chainsawmassacre]

There are also other considerations, beyond pure batter electric cars, like hybrids and plug in hybrids.
If we take an average driver, 12,000 miles a year in say a Camry that gets between 25 and 30 mpg.
That is about 440 gallons of gas a year, which at $4.00 a gallon is $1760 a year.
Now take the Camry hybrid at 51 mpg, that is only 241 gallons a year, which means gas could be as high as
$7.33 a gallon for the same miles to have equal costs, anything less than that is a real savings.
The plug in hybrids may be the best of both worlds, giving local electric transport, but the longer range and flexibility
of using gasoline when demanded.

I think hybrids are indeed the best of both worlds. It's kind of like my e bicycle. You can and do peddle assist so really calling it an e bike is wrong. It's more accurately a hybrid bike.

 

[longview]

I think hybrids are indeed the best of both worlds. It's kind of like my e bicycle. You can and do peddle assist so really calling it an e bike is wrong. It's more accurately a hybrid bike.

I built what I think is a nice tandem electric bike.
I have 48 volt 14 AH battery, and a 1000 watt hub, but it is limited to 18 mph.
I cannot get my wife interested in riding it.

 

[jonny5]

If you think an e vehicle is cheaper to own think again. Even at today’s gas prices you won’t even break even until you own your e car from eight to 13 years.

Don't Swap Your Gas-Guzzler for an Electric Vehicle to Avoid High Fuel Prices

EVs make a lot of sense, especially as fuel prices climb, but avoid knee-jerk impulses to buy an electric car just to save money at the pump.

www.cnet.com

Ive never understood that argument. A comparable EV costs twice as much as a combustion engine. They should just sell them as good for the environment. Thats more believable even though we know its not true either.