[quote=ocrenter]I do agree there are still limitations and much needed progress is still necessary to bring the technology to the broader public.
However, with TOU rates, the charging can be exceptionally affordable. And certainly used LEAFs out there are dirt cheap to afford.
Assuming a 30 mile each way commute, that translates to 1200 miles per month, or $100 gas bill at 30 mile/gal and $2.5 per gal.
Even without solar, TOU rates at night are at 18 cents per kwh. at 4 miles per kwh, that 1200 miles would yield a cost of $54.
And this comparison is with gasoline at its lowest cost in some time.
If we are looking at folks with solar like you and I, it becomes an absolute no-brainer. I just had my yearly SDGE bill coming in. $150 for my yearly electric bill when my electric bill was previously $1800 and my gasoline bill was previously $2200. So essentially $4000 bill reduced to $150 after spending $10k for the solar panels. Which means a ROI rate of less than 3 years.[/quote]
Well, if you’re comparing a Leaf, you should be comparing it against a Prius. Which gets 54/50 MPG. If you drive 100k miles, you’ll need 2000 gallons, ~$3, that’s $6k in fuel cost.
With solar, that’s about $2k in electricity cost with TOU and solar. Without solar and with TOU, your cost would be ~$5k. That’s assuming you work during the day and only charge at night. If you’re a stay at home spouse and drive/charge it through out the day, it would be >$5k. So, the fuel saving it’s too big IMHO.
I don’t think $1-4k fuel saving over 100k miles is that big of a deal.
Also keep in mind not all of us have roof big enough to satisfy all of our usage. I maxed out my roof and it’s still not enough to put me at $0, so if I get an EV, i’m not sure how much it’ll cost me. I haven’t properly done the math yet.
