Here’s a comment from Doug Gordon, a regular reader of this blog.
Submitted on 2011/05/02 at 8:35 am
Here’s another little interesting tidbit from the Chevrolet Volt website: from their MPGe values (miled per gallon equivalent) for the Volt, they develop a value of 33.7 kWHr equals 1 gallon of gasoline.
With cheap natural gas, coal, hydroelectric, and a couple nuclear power plants on the books (which the environmentalists want to de-license, etc) I pay 7.7 c/kWHr for electricity, down from 8.8 c last year. But wait, to transmit it to my home costs another 9.3 c/kWHr, up from 9.1 c last month and 8.3 c last year.
Now, 17 c/kWHr times 33.7 kWHr/ gallon of Gasoline = $5.729
So my electric rates are equivalent in the Volt of $5.729/gallon gasoline.
Now, if they have to buy alternative energy, and deliver a LOT more electricity to every home with an electric car, my guess is the generation costs and the delivery costs are both gonna rise.
So, when you are upset about those $4.00/gallon costs of gasoline now, you’ll really “save” money on that electric car. You’ll make up that extra $20000 it costs over a conventional auto in no time.
And the professionally installed 240 V recharging station for your home so it can recharge in under 10 hrs comes real CHEAP too.
Now, the good news is states like Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas have fairly cheap electricity prices, so they would save money. Of course, the towns tend to be further apart in those states, so you’ll mostly be operating off the gasoline engine in the golf cart, but at least you will be saving the environment, or probably not.
Doug Gordon
Doug didn’t mention the plans already underway to force utilities all over the country to buy a stipulated percentage of renewable power at any cost to deliver to consumers. As coal powered plants are forced to close by edict from Obama and his EPA had, Lisa Jackson, less supply will be available. Costs and utility bills will go up. The cost to power a Volt vs. gasoline will separate. The Volt will cost more to operate.
Congratulations on spending that extra $20K for your Volt. You hoped to get it back with fuel savings. You might spend another $20K more on fuel if you drive it enough.
