Energized Posted July 20, 2013 at 05:17 PM Report Share Posted July 20, 2013 at 05:17 PM My marginal cost of electricity is now > $0.30/kWh. Given the high cost of electricity, at what point is it cheaper to use gas? A full charge translates to traveling a distance roughly equal to 1/2 gallon of gas (21 miles per charge, vs 43 miles per gallon combined). A charge costs about 7.7 x 0.32 = $2.46. A half gallon of gas costs (using today's price $3.83) $1.92. If my quick and dirty math is correct, it's cheaper to use gas (at 3.83/gal) than electricity once the marginal cost of electricity exceeds $0.25 kWh. Does this look correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryh Posted July 20, 2013 at 05:29 PM Report Share Posted July 20, 2013 at 05:29 PM (edited) You have extremely high electric rates. Your power company doesn't offer any discounts for electric vehicles? Which power company is this? Yes, your math is correct. If you can travel 24 miles on a charge and the car gets 42 MPG (using the numbers that I observe), then the amount of gas you saved for those 24 miles is about 0.57 gallons. So the price of gas would have to be less than $2.46 / 0.57 = $4.305 / gallon for you to be better off using gas. It would be cheaper for you to use gas. The price of gas for those 24 miles is 0.57 gallons * $3.83 / gallon = $2.19. Your electric rates would have to be less than $2.19/7.7 = $0.284 /kWh to prefer using electricity over gas. Edited July 20, 2013 at 05:40 PM by larryh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Energized Posted July 20, 2013 at 09:14 PM Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2013 at 09:14 PM (edited) Thanks for checking the math. It's about what I was expecting before I purchased the car. The electric company offers several different rate plans for EVs although the only one that offers an economic advantage is the one that requires a separate meter. The other plans increase the On-Peak rates in exchange for a nominal decrease in Off-Peak rates. I haven't run the ROI numbers for installing a separate meter but doubt it would be an efficient investment. I'm just glad I didn't go with the Tesla with a battery 10x larger, and paying the equivalent of $5 per gallon to operate it. Edited July 21, 2013 at 03:17 AM by Energized Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryh Posted July 20, 2013 at 09:46 PM Report Share Posted July 20, 2013 at 09:46 PM (edited) The cost for installing a submeter socket to monitor electricity useage for charging the car is about $200 for me. The electric company provides the meter. I buy the socket from them and have an electrician install it. Edited July 20, 2013 at 09:49 PM by larryh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markn455 Posted July 21, 2013 at 01:43 AM Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 at 01:43 AM At these rates it would seem to me that it is better to go with the most efficient Hybrid you can find and forget the pluggable idea all together. My electricity where I live is running abut $.08 per KWH. So, it makes a lot of sense for me to go the pluggable route whenever I can. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfandswim Posted July 21, 2013 at 04:53 AM Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 at 04:53 AM Our tier 4 rates are .31/kwh. I am planning on adding the second meter...after installing the second meter I'll be able to get .11/kwh. Basically to do that you need to replace your metered panel with a dual socket panel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionDad Posted August 28, 2013 at 01:02 AM Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 at 01:02 AM I agree with the math however IMHO there are other plug-in car advantages, the main one (for me) helping the US to be less reliant on MidEast countries for oil imports subsidized in part by the lives of our GIs. Andre07 and TechOps 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtshinn Posted August 28, 2013 at 02:13 PM Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 at 02:13 PM If electricty was above .25, I would not have bought a plug-in. Here it is .07.At .25 and above I'd be installing Solar panels ASAP, not just for charging.I'd also be reading by candlelight during peak hours, lol dlb92 and Andre07 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlb92 Posted August 28, 2013 at 02:18 PM Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 at 02:18 PM Those panels would pay for themselves real quick. Andre07 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechOps Posted August 29, 2013 at 04:18 AM Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 at 04:18 AM Agree with rtshinn. If it's practical for you, you might want to think about installing solar. It will change the economics of the situation and encourage you to be fossil-free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtshinn Posted August 29, 2013 at 01:46 PM Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 at 01:46 PM Agree with rtshinn. If it's practical for you, you might want to think about installing solar. It will change the economics of the situation and encourage you to be fossil-free. Electric here is 7 cents and 8 cents at my other place. Also, I live in Ohio which has below average sunny days. Still, solar has been plummeting in price, and it may be practical here with tax credits, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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