Savings with an EV?

[Anonymous]

So, in the DMV do you save money with your EV compared to a gas-powered engine? I've wondered because electricity is so expensive in our area, it's hard to know how it would compare.

[Anonymous]

Gas is pricey in this area too.

Not much maintenance with EVs. No oil changes, less break work. New tires every 40 to 50k miles.

I had a Tesla Model 3 in Quebec and put a good 1,000 miles on it. Total charging cost about CAN$35.

It’s unfortunate how shitty they are for the environment they way they are made, though.

[Anonymous]

Is electricity really that expensive in our area? This federal government chart has it at about the national median: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a

Regardless, I pay about 20 cents per kWh for electricity in D.C. (we pay higher than the Pepco rate, since we have an alternative provider that buys wind offsets for all our use). I think I'm actually rounding up a bit, now that I look at my latest electric bill. But my car battery can hold 82 kWh. That means charging it from completely empty to completely full costs $16.

$16 buys you 4.5 gallons of gas at the station GasBuddy says is currently the cheapest price in D.C., at $3.55/gallon. So, that's how it compares.

[Anonymous]

There's a long analysis of this in the Post today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2023/electric-vehicle-charging-price-vs-gasoline/

[Anonymous]

As long as you only charge at home it’s cheaper though cars start off more expensive

And doubt you can keep Tesla running 15 years like my Honda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as you only charge at home it’s cheaper though cars start off more expensive

And doubt you can keep Tesla running 15 years like my Honda.

We bought our 2019 Bolt in early 2021 for $19k. It wasn’t much more expensive than similar ICE vehicles.

Why wouldn’t a Tesla be running after 15 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you only charge at home it’s cheaper though cars start off more expensive

And doubt you can keep Tesla running 15 years like my Honda.

We bought our 2019 Bolt in early 2021 for $19k. It wasn’t much more expensive than similar ICE vehicles.

Why wouldn’t a Tesla be running after 15 years?

Battery is rated to go 150k miles with 70% range. So over 150k you start using half the range.

Second, Tesla build quality is crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you only charge at home it’s cheaper though cars start off more expensive

And doubt you can keep Tesla running 15 years like my Honda.

We bought our 2019 Bolt in early 2021 for $19k. It wasn’t much more expensive than similar ICE vehicles.

Why wouldn’t a Tesla be running after 15 years?

Sure a Bolt is probably similar to a Civic, but you are comparing a Chevy to a Honda and paying a premium? Lots of things can fail besides engine/batteries — those are the bits to worry about. Honestly my parents had GM, and anything electrical (windows, alternator, power seat) were always failing — and now the DRIVETRAIN is electrical?

[Anonymous]

Something to consider
https://autos.yahoo.com/why-toyota-isnt-rushing-sell-154000759.html

[Anonymous]

The Washington Post just did an article about this. The savings depend on where you live.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2023/electric-vehicle-charging-price-vs-gasoline

In Washington state, with prices around $4.98 per gallon of gas, it costs about $115 to fill up an F-150 which delivers 483 miles of range.

By contrast, recharging the electric F-150 Lightning (or Rivian R1T) to cover an equivalent distance costs about $34 — an $80 savings. This assumes, as the Energy Department estimates, drivers recharge at home 80 percent of the time, along with other methodological assumptions at the end of this article.

But what about the other extreme? In the Southeast, which has low gas prices and electricity rates, savings are lower but still significant. In Mississippi, for example, a conventional pickup costs about $30 more to refuel than its electric counterpart. For smaller, more efficient SUVs and sedans, EVs save roughly $20 to $25 per fill-up to cover the same number of miles.

An American driving the average 14,000 miles per year would see annual savings of roughly $700 for an electric SUV or sedan up to $1,000 for a pickup, according to Energy Innovation.

Ultimately, we may never agree on what it costs to refuel an electric vehicle. That may not matter. For the everyday driver in the United States, it’s already cheaper to refuel an EV most of the time, and it’s expected to get cheaper as renewable capacity expands and vehicle efficiency improves.

The sticker price for some EVs is expected to fall below comparable gasoline cars as soon as this year, and estimates of the total cost of ownership — maintenance, fuel and other costs over a vehicle’s lifetime — suggest EVs are already cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you only charge at home it’s cheaper though cars start off more expensive

And doubt you can keep Tesla running 15 years like my Honda.

We bought our 2019 Bolt in early 2021 for $19k. It wasn’t much more expensive than similar ICE vehicles.

Why wouldn’t a Tesla be running after 15 years?

Sure a Bolt is probably similar to a Civic, but you are comparing a Chevy to a Honda and paying a premium? Lots of things can fail besides engine/batteries — those are the bits to worry about. Honestly my parents had GM, and anything electrical (windows, alternator, power seat) were always failing — and now the DRIVETRAIN is electrical?

It's not really a drivetrain, it's just a motor. Pretty uncomplicated, electrically and mechanically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you only charge at home it’s cheaper though cars start off more expensive

And doubt you can keep Tesla running 15 years like my Honda.

We bought our 2019 Bolt in early 2021 for $19k. It wasn’t much more expensive than similar ICE vehicles.

Why wouldn’t a Tesla be running after 15 years?

Sure a Bolt is probably similar to a Civic, but you are comparing a Chevy to a Honda and paying a premium? Lots of things can fail besides engine/batteries — those are the bits to worry about. Honestly my parents had GM, and anything electrical (windows, alternator, power seat) were always failing — and now the DRIVETRAIN is electrical?

It's not really a drivetrain, it's just a motor. Pretty uncomplicated, electrically and mechanically.

So is a window motor, but GM has trouble with those. I think if you factor in the price of a new battery and you still come out on top, then go electric

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you only charge at home it’s cheaper though cars start off more expensive

And doubt you can keep Tesla running 15 years like my Honda.

We bought our 2019 Bolt in early 2021 for $19k. It wasn’t much more expensive than similar ICE vehicles.

Why wouldn’t a Tesla be running after 15 years?

Sure a Bolt is probably similar to a Civic, but you are comparing a Chevy to a Honda and paying a premium? Lots of things can fail besides engine/batteries — those are the bits to worry about. Honestly my parents had GM, and anything electrical (windows, alternator, power seat) were always failing — and now the DRIVETRAIN is electrical?

It's not really a drivetrain, it's just a motor. Pretty uncomplicated, electrically and mechanically.

So is a window motor, but GM has trouble with those. I think if you factor in the price of a new battery and you still come out on top, then go electric

We know tons of people with EVs and none with battery issues. Just cosmetic stuff.

EVs are very simple. DP.

[Anonymous]

I think EVs are fabulous. I'm just waiting til national infrastructure catches up a bit more. I travel a lot, and to places there aren't many public charging stations.

[Anonymous]

More expensive to insure an EV. So, factor that in.