Approximately just as cheap to run the chevy volt on gas as electricity

[georgepds]

Just purchased a chevy volt.. a really sweet ride. Now I’m doing some calculations to compare the cost of electricity and gas per mile

By my account, these days of low cost gas, it’s as cheap to run the volt on gas (at ~$2/gallon and 40 mpg) as it is to run on electricity (at 15 cents/ kwh and 3 miles/kwh). Both come out to 5 cents/mile

In my case I have an electric company credit for overproduction by my solar panels, and I have to use the electricity somehow. So my marginal electric cost is 0 cents/kwh, and , neglecting NRC , it’s cheaper to use electricity… but if I had to buy the electricity from the power company, it would be a toss up

 

[Highbeam]

Just purchased a chevy volt.. a really sweet ride. Now I’m doing some calculations to compare the cost of electricity and gas per mile

By my account, these days of low cost gas, it’s as cheap to run the volt on gas (at ~$2/gallon and 40 mpg) as it is to run on electricity (at 15 cents/ kwh and 3 miles/kwh). Both come out to 5 cents/mile

In my case I have an electric company credit for overproduction by my solar panels, and I have to use the electricity somehow. So my marginal electric cost is 0 cents/kwh, and , neglecting NRC , it’s cheaper to use electricity… but if I had to buy the electricity from the power company, it would be a toss up

Great point.

 

[Circus]

Been shopping for a 8sh year old car. Hybrids are about half the price. Gotta figure labor and new batteries every so often. Works out to be about half the cars value. Does using the batteries less make them last longer? Lead acid batteries do.

 

[woodgeek]

My gaswagon is managing 22 mpg, my gas costs $2.50, and my EV gets 3.5 miles/kWh for 16 cents/kWh.

So, my gaswagon is 11.4 cents/mi while my EV is 4.6 cents/mi.

The problem is your Volt gas mileage is too good.

 

[begreen]

We still have the balance working in favor of electricity but our power is cheaper @ .10/kwh and gas is more expensive @ $2.99 for hi test. (Remember the Volt takes high octane gas, not regular.) In the summer it's a no brainer, solar panels run the car and house. Also, we've never gotten 40mpg with the gas generator driven, but most of that mileage is at freeway speeds. 37mpg ave. per gas tank full is the best we've gotten so far.

 

[georgepds]

...Remember the Volt takes high octane gas, not regular.) ....

The first generation volt takes premium gas, the second generation volt takes regular gas

 

[begreen]

You got a second generation? Lucky you! Looks like they really listened to us gen 1 owners and made a lot of nice improvements. Gen2 are not sold in our state yet.

Regular gas locally is $2.69 so electric still wins a $0.10/kwh.

 

[georgepds]

You got a second generation? Lucky you. They are not sold in our state yet. Regular gas here is $2.69 so electric still wins a $0.10/kwh.

Yes, it's a 2016 LT, and it is sweet. The last car I drove for ~ 14 years, a 2002 Chevy Prizm ( a Toyota Corolla in Chevy skin, made at the old NUMMI plant now occupied by Tesla)

Over the past two years I've generated about 6 MWH surplus with roof top solar ( and made quite a bit of cash selling SRECS).I haven't paid an electric bill in years. My electric company will issue a credit, but not a check, so the volt is my way of using that excess production.

 

[begreen]

Excellent. Sounds like it's much cheaper for you to run on (solar) electric too.

 

[woodsmaster]

gas is 1.79 here now !!

 

[maple1]

We're still over a buck a litre...

 

[nola mike]

We're still over a buck a litre...

Isn't that a looney a litre? (What's a litre? )

 

[dougstove]

$C1/l ~ $2.84USD/gallon

We pay gas tax rather than highway tolls, more or less.

 

[georgepds]

FWIIW

Because I work away from home 3 days a week I use gas as well as electricity to power the Chevy Volt. Just checked the energy information display this morning and found that my volt does get, in real world conditions, ~3 mi/kwh and ~ 40 mpg on the ICE

Makes it a little easier on me when I have to fill up at the end of the 3 day period. Once I retire I intend to seriously use up the excess electricity I have produced.

 

[P51mustang]

I've been admiring the Chevy Volt for years. I think they're a fantastic American vehicle and would consider buying one if I was in the market for a car. I'm hoping that someday the technology and design of the Volt will make its way into a hybrid truck or CUV.

 

[begreen]

Someday is now, though not cheap.
(broken link removed)

 

[P51mustang]

Someday is now, though not cheap.
(broken link removed)

It seems all these after market conversions are really expensive and have been around for years. What I someday hope for is the actual manufacturers mass producing trucks, CUV's, etc. with Volt type technology so the prices are more manageable for the average consumer.

The latest dip and what is expected to be a long term trend in the price of gas doesn't help of course.

 

[begreen]

Via is relatively new and based on the Volt technology with a larger battery and motors.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I think I paid $2.21 on my last fill up. I've seen it as low as 2.13 this week. I pay something like 20 cents per kWh.


I think you should account for your cost of solar installation in your figures as that sizable investment makes it possible to get lower cost electricity. I'm not sure exactly how one would do that though. At least not to get a per kWh number. Real estate has a 40 year amortization schedule, but I don't think that would be fair to calculate solar using those numbers. I think the panels are supposed to have a 20 year guaranty?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Google -fu and you shall find...

http://www.seia.org/policy/finance-tax/depreciation-solar-energy-property-macrs

 

[georgepds]

I think I paid $2.21 on my last fill up. I've seen it as low as 2.13 this week. I pay something like 20 cents per kWh.


I think you should account for your cost of solar installation in your figures as that sizable investment makes it possible to get lower cost electricity. I'm not sure exactly how one would do that though. At least not to get a per kWh number. Real estate has a 40 year amortization schedule, but I don't think that would be fair to calculate solar using those numbers. I think the panels are supposed to have a 20 year guaranty?

Thats why I said Non Recurring Cost, or atleast I think I did

Here in Ma solar has a capital cost payback of approx 4 years... much less than the life of the car

 

[maple1]

I'd like to see some numbers for that 4 year payback.

 

[georgepds]

I'd like to see some numbers for that 4 year payback.

From the vendor....

Good Afternoon,

How are you? Thank you for giving me a few extra days to get everything out to you, this weekend has been interesting to say the least. I've updated your proposal to reflect some of your questions in our last email. You were correct, my dimensions for your original solar array were a bit off. Your 11 panel SolarWorld array has been reduced to a 10 panel array because of those changes. I've also formatted a new proposal to compare a 10, 16, and 20 panel SolarWorld array for you side by side. Below I will go over some key figures for a 20 panel array.

I'll be using an inflation rate of 4.5% for your utility rate (usually closer to 5%) and an SREC price of $285.

20 SolarWorld 250W Panels (6,105 kWh or 6.105 SREC's a year)
Using 20 SolarWorld 250W panels we will cover 283% of you current utility bill.
Your total investment, after all tax credit and rebates, will be $11,005*.
You will break even in year 3.
By year 10 you will have made $18,279 in profit.
*Your Federal Tax Credit will be available the year following your installation and can be broken up over the course of 4 years. Your state tax credit will be available the year following your installation and is capped at $1,000.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this proposal, I hope these figures look good for you and we can get your paperwork started this month. Again the sooner we have in queue, the sooner we can get your system installed. Thanks again for the patience and have a great day!

 

[maple1]

So, in the 10 years in that, a 5000w system will generate $29,283 in revenue.

(11,005 payback first 3 + 18,279 profit year 3 to year 10).

That's about $3000/year. Using the yield figure quoted of 6105 kwh/yr, that works out to $0.50/kwh.

Either I'm really missing something, or somebodys math is really fudgey.

How much does electricity cost in Ma?

 

[woodgeek]

It figures in the price of SRECs in MA, currently offering 28.5 cents/kWh, methinks?

I also think the 4.5% energy inflation is quite unlikely over the next 10 years, as is the assumption that the SREC price will maintain near this level.