Cost for fueling an Electric Car?

Question

Does anyone know the average electric cost to fully charge your average sized EV electric vehicle? Here in canada the cost for gas is about $40 to fill my little ole nissan (40 litre tank which lasts for 1 week). I wonder if the additonal cost for an electric vehicle of the same size would cost as much or less ? Would my home hydro costs go thru the roof ?

Answer 1

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Hi, I'm an EV owner, and I'll give you the benefit of whatever experience I have. My own EV is quite old, and I believe my mileage is just under 4 miles per kilowatt-hour. The key is to get a good electric rate.
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Here in Michigan, there is a split rate available to take advantage of off-peak electricity overnight. My overnight rate is about 3 cents per KWH. Check your own utility to see if rates like this are available.
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The older technology electric cars (still the most common type) use lead-acid batteries. A typical battery pack will last anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 miles, depending on how well you care for them. My battery pack costs $850 to replace.
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Taking all of the above into consideration, my total cost per mile is around 5 cents. Pretty good, compared to what gasoline costs. Someday, when electricity costs creep high enough, I'll put in a solar panel or windmill, to get my cost per mile closer to zero.
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Here's some help on finding cheap electric cars (as little as $5000): http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car
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If you can afford it, however, it would be hard to beat this EV:
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http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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The Phoenix electric pickup truck - using new, advanced Altairnano batteries (based on research from MIT) - can:

-Travel up to 250 miles per charge
-Carry 5 passengers plus cargo at 95mph.
-Charges batteries in as little as TEN MINUTES.
-Has batteries that last 250,000 miles (never need replacement.)
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Answer 2

Are you kidding? Electric was 4x cheaper to fuel around the year 2000, back when gas was cheap and Enron was running amok. Seems it'd be even more favorable now.

I think you'd notice the increase in your hydro bill, but it wouldn't knock your socks off, and it'd be conspicuously cheaper than the gasoline you're not buying.

From your fuel consumption i'm guessing you drive around 300 miles, 500km a week? If that's spread throughout the week it seems ideal for an electric car. Especially if your employer will let you plug in at the office. (frequent charging is better for the battery pack.) Note that the cost of allowing EVs to plug in is low enough that in many places, employers and retail stores installed EV chargers for free use for their employees and customers.

On buying an EV (this is for the sake of other readers), gotcha is: Cheap; long-range. Pick one.

The major automakers leased some EVs in the 1990s. these had advanced batteries to achieve well over 100 miles range, however that also pushed their real cost up to $60,000 and up. ($349/month lease was, obviously, subsidized.) Those cars have all been recalled, and destroyed. Nowadays, your options are:

- Have a conversion company take a used vehicle and convert it to electric. This will run between $7000 and $25,000 depending on the sophistication of the batteries (which is to say, range.)
http://www.eaaev.org/eaaevsforsale.html

- If you're handy, convert one yourself for $5000 less.

- Purchase a used vehicle which has already been converted to electric.

- Buy a small "Neighborhood Electric Vehicle" intended for in-town use below 60kph, for $2000 used - $10,000 new. These are mainstream enough to be sold at CostCo.
http://www.costcoauto.com/articles/article.asp?id=Neighborhood+Electric+Vehicles
(yes, if they look vaguely like golf carts, that's what they evolved from.)

Answer 3

It depends on the size of the battery. Speak to the sales people and get a battery spec. Then ask Hydro.