Electric cars are already cheaper to own and run, says study • Hacker News Board

Re: Electric cars are already cheaper to own and run, says study

#11

Post by thorwasdfasdf » Tue, Feb 12, 2019, 8:55 PM UTC

I ran the numbers for here in CA. Even just comparing Gasoline pump cost vs Electric charging costs, the electrics are roughly equivalent to a car that gets 45mpg. Maintentance is of course cheaper for electrics because they don't need oil changes or timing belts or spark plugs but that doesn't mean electrics don't have expensive maintenance plans attached if sold as Teslas.

Right now Electrics still cost about 10K more than their gasoline counterparts.

Overrall, I still think a Toyota Prius with 55mpg will be cheaper to run overrall than an Electric, taking into account total cost of ownership.

Re: Electric cars are already cheaper to own and run, says study

#12

Post by thorwasdfasdf » Tue, Feb 12, 2019, 8:58 PM UTC

kingnothing wrote: post #8

dragontamer wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whatever is cheapest today will likely result in the cheapest car in 5 years. Electric cars are new, there aren't many electrics in the used market. In 2024, these electric vehicles will be 5-years old, and their used prices will start propagating towards the general public (who in my view, doesn't typically buy new cars).

We're there today. You can already buy used Nissan Leafs for under $10k in the US. BMW i3s can be had for under $20k.

You can get Leafs here in CA, now for under $8K, but the problem is their reduced range witch can be as low as 50 miles, making it a bit risky for commuting, since getting stuck means at least 110$ to get towed.

Re: Electric cars are already cheaper to own and run, says study

#13

Post by woodandsteel » Wed, Feb 13, 2019, 1:54 AM UTC

The key thing to remember is that EV's are going to keep getting cheaper due to decreases in the battery costs, while ICE's are going to stay the same. From what I have read, the experts think that around 2022-25 EV's are going to equal ICE's for purchase price, and at that point the whole market is going to tip. The only thing slowing down EV sales will be how fast the auto manufacturers can switch over what they produce.

Re: Electric cars are already cheaper to own and run, says study

#14

Post by foxyv » Thu, Feb 14, 2019, 2:43 PM UTC

thorwasdfasdf wrote: post #11

I ran the numbers for here in CA. Even just comparing Gasoline pump cost vs Electric charging costs, the electrics are roughly equivalent to a car that gets 45mpg. Maintentance is of course cheaper for electrics because they don't need oil changes or timing belts or spark plugs but that doesn't mean electrics don't have expensive maintenance plans attached if sold as Teslas. Right now Electrics still cost about 10K m…

Yeah when the Leaf first came out I was checking against CA power rates. CA electricity is so prohibitively expensive I would have had to get a solar installation just to afford charging my car. Ended up sticking with my old 90' Honda Civic that got 35 mpg