Electric car cost warning

[ChewChewTrain]

CORRECTION: Should be "my cost for 150,000 miles of travel is US$10,000 or 6.6 cents per mile." instead of "my cost per mile for 150,000 miles of travel is US$10,000."

[Draigflag]

My fuel cost alone for my previous car was $15,000 (converted) after just 58,000 miles. EV's make even less sense in the US due to cheap gas then? I'm assuming depreciation is much worse too?

[trollbait]

Here the incentives has a big part in the depreciation of a plug in. For the Volt and BEVs, it is a federal tax credit of $7500. Then some states throw something on top of that. In California and Colorado, the total incentives can be over 10 grand on a new car. That brings the price of the loaded Leaf with bigger battery down that of a base Prius. Even with low miles, a Leaf with the smaller battery is going to be lower in order to sell.

Then many new plug ins are leased. There is the worry about the battery later on driving them, and also the promise of newer cars getting better batteries and ranges.

[Draigflag]

Yes the incentives are good, although as you can see from previous posts, grants have been halved and charging points now cost more than petrol/diesel, I should imagine EV sales are going to plummet for the next few months, I will wait and see the registration data.

Interesting I did a comparison earlier, if I switched to a Leaf 30KW now, my C02 emissions would only fall by 9%, and my N0X/particulate matter emissions would only drop by 4%, the benefits of electric cars at present time are miniscule considering the increased cost (60% more for a Leaf V's a Clio)

[ChewChewTrain]

2011 Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) can be easily found for about US$7,000. That's in the San Francisco area, where there's likely higher demand and more acceptance of EVs.

I'd consider one, but the "experts" are right. A 200 mile range would take car of my farthest local driving range with no worries. 80 miles is just too short.

Also, one other thing. The Leaf is SO ugly both outside and inside, I doubt even a 500 driving range would persuade me to buy.

[benlovesgoddess]

Can't always wait for the next thing though, or nothing gets done! Ideally, I would have liked a Prius Prime - but couldn't have waited. In the meantime I would have bought a 2nd hand Jag, or Chrysler 300C or something. Glad I went for what they had then and there - as I was expecting the previous model (I had no idea the Gen 4 existed), I got lucky with my timing.
I don't mind the look of the Leaf - it's the short range that wouldn't work.
Someone in America has boasted a 1,000 mile tank on the new Prius. I dunno if the different battery over there gives longer EV range.
I'll be lucky if I see 600 miles, I need to work a lot harder...

[Draigflag]

You just need to let the fuel level drop further Ben, you must be filling up as soon as the warning light comes on. Your tank is 45 litres the same as mine, and I've averaged over 700 miles per tank from day 1, you are getting better economy so should be seeing close to 750-800 miles with ease

[benlovesgoddess]

True, I fill up before or as the fuel light comes on. The blurb in the manual says it is particularly bad to run the Prius totally out of fuel. When I fill up, it's usually 34-38 litres at around 540 miles, so another couple of gallons might let me reach 660 - 700 miles, but at the risk of damaging the car.

[trollbait]

That blurb is there because people have run out of gas and continued to drive on the battery until they killed the battery.

Hybrids are a subset of ICE cars. If the gas tank is empty pulled over and stop.

[Draigflag]

That's just over cautious health and safety parameters, you'd get over 50 litres in that tank if you brimmed it, don't be afraid, take advantage of your good range!