Any GTAM'ers own an electric vehicle?
- Thread starter PrivatePilot
- Start date
You have to crunch the numbers for your own individual case.
In 100 000 km and 4 years, my Bolt has used about $1500 worth of electricity (15 kWh/100 km at $0.10/kWh overnight power) and a comparable gasoline vehicle would use probably 7 litres per 100 km at nearing $2 per litre so $14 000 of fuel ... $12 500 advantage right there. Add not having about 10 oil changes so there's another $1000. Add it would probably need a set of brakes right about now so there's another $500. I trust battery durability nowadays more than I trust turbocharged and direct-injected engine reliability (and mine is still under battery warranty and the combustion-engine vehicle would be out of warranty). And on top of that, the Bolt is better to drive. The alternative would have probably been a VW GTI (not saying the Bolt is the equal of a GTI ... it isn't ... but for a street driven car, it's close enough) and that's same-ballpark money to buy new.
I just put wheel bearings and sway-bar end-links in it ... but that stuff is the same as on any other car, so that's a wash.
The average urban hydro rate for Ontario is just under $0.20 per KWH. If your EV moves your car 5 Km per KWH thats about $0.04 per KM.
An ICE at 10L per 100 Km @ $1.60 / L is $0.16 per KM. Some fast chargers are several times the urban rate so it could be a tie in a worst case comparison.
However, at the present time there are cheaper options for electrical but few with gas or diesel. Home charging overnight at 120 volts could get you 100 Km driving for two to three dollars.
It all depends on the premium you pay for an EV. Then the question has to be asked, does it really cost that much more to make an EV or are they selling the hype?
A Trax is about the same size in ICE and is $10K cheaper to buy so you're ahead by ~$2500 plus some maintenance costs. That tanks if the battery goes. Battery cost is getting to be more a concern than battery fires for those that keep their cars a long time. If battery designs were standardized like lead acid ones prices would be more competitive.
Unfortunately the complexities of the charging and usage circuits don't let that happen.
You can make the same cost argument for an ICE engine failing (and lots of DI engines fail). I think catastrophic failure cost is close to a wash as dealer price for repair on both is insane and barring a catastrophic design failure (eg kia 2.4, Hyosung 250, ford DSG, etc), a competent independent shop can get you back on the road for thousands.
Standardized battery is tough. They are physically large and often structural parts of the vehicle. If a manufacturer could save money with standardization, you would bet they would. Afaik, most manufacturers have a distinct battery for most of their vehicles (with the exception of some branding twins that are very similar vehicles underneath).
