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Electric Cars Are Already Cheaper To Own and Run Than Petrol Or Diesel, Says Study (theguardian.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Electric cars are already cheaper to own and run than petrol or diesel cars in the UK, US and Japan, new research shows. The lower cost is a key factor driving the rapid rise in electric car sales now underway, say the researchers. At the moment the cost is partly because of government support, but electric cars are expected to become the cheapest option without subsidies in a few years. The researchers analyzed the total cost of ownership of cars over four years, including the purchase price and depreciation, fuel, insurance, taxation and maintenance. They were surprised to find that pure electric cars came out cheapest in all the markets they examined: UK, Japan, Texas and California.

Pure electric cars have much lower fuel costs -- electricity is cheaper than petrol or diesel -- and maintenance costs, as the engines are simpler and help brake the car, saving on brake pads. In the UK, the annual cost was about 10% lower than for petrol or diesel cars in 2015, the latest year analyzed. Hybrid cars which cannot be plugged in and attract lower subsidies, were usually a little more expensive than petrol or diesel cars. Plug-in hybrids were found to be significantly more expensive -- buyers are effectively paying for two engines in one car, the researchers said. The exception in this case was Japan, where plug-in hybrids receive higher subsidies.
The study has been published in the journal Applied Energy.

474 comments

  1. Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At the moment the cost is partly because of government support, but electric cars are expected to become the cheapest option without subsidies in a few years.

    So it's cheapest -- as long as you ignore that pile of money over in the corner that someone else is paying, and one we promise will go away Real Soon Now. Good grief.

    1. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by someone1234 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Maybe there should be a healthcare tax on diesel.

      --
      Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
    2. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      UK has a $2.95 per US Gallon tax on gasoline.

      My Camry gets 37 MPG in mixed driving. 46 MPG on the highway. And that's a conventional engine. Toyota is going to use Mazda's new engine which should improve mileage by 25% or so. And I get about 550-600 miles on a tank of gasoline. I think that electric is in our future but issues with the grid, infrastructure, refueling time will be persistent problems.
      It reminds me of the argument for carrying credit cards and not cash which assumes that the grid is always up. When we have power failures, you get in a gas line for the few gas stations with a generator running the pumps. They only take cash as the payment systems are down. What do you do if the power is out for a day to a week with an electric vehicle? Right, you charge it with your gas generator.

    3. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      At the moment the cost is partly because of government support, but electric cars are expected to become the cheapest option without subsidies in a few years.

      So it's cheapest -- as long as you ignore that pile of money over in the corner that someone else is paying, and one we promise will go away Real Soon Now. Good grief.

      How quickly the average citizen forgets who needed a fucking bailout a few years ago for those deemed Too Big To Fail.

      There would be no competition if it were not for someone else paying.

    4. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Fun fact: a lot of new tech needs to be subsidized at first. The reason it needs to be subsidized is because oil and gas receive *more* subsidies than electric and its hard to compete against an entrenched industry with massive interests lobbying against you.

      Just factor in the price of pollution affecting health care expenses in a densely populated country as The Netherlands and see how electric cars suddenly become a lot cheaper than diesel.

    5. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, and I strongly suspect that somebody just can't do arithmetic as well. Perhaps SOME electric cars are less expensive than SOME gasoline cars, but there is a huge range of prices for gas cars, even in a given class. If you compare a high end luxury gas car to the cheapest electric, add in the subsidy, and make negatory assumptions about the probable price of gasoline over the expected lifetime of the car, you can probably fudge it to make it come out a win, but if you compare apples to apples without subsidies, it isn't so clear. Suppose a car goes 12,000 miles in a year. At 20 mpg, that costs 600 gallons of gasoline, or around $1500/year. Over a ten year lifetime, fuel costs are only around $15,000, so if electric cars ran FREE you'd need price points for CHEAP electric cars to match those of CHEAP gasoline cars within around $12,000, allowing for the cost of money. But the cheapest electric cars are easily this much more than the cheapest gasoline cars, and even the study only allows for a 10% difference in maintenance costs, which really remains to be seen as these costs are highly variable by manufacturer. But electricity is NOT free -- even if it is being provided "free" in some places it is really just another subsidy, and costs SOMEBODY somewhere between $0.10 and $0.20 per KWH.

      I ran into the same difficulty with our Priuses. The first Prius we bought was $40,000. At the time, we could have easily gotten a similar size/class car for maybe $20,000 to $25,000, one that got around 30 mpg. There is no way we paid off the difference in financing costs over the lifetime of the car with the marginal savings on gasoline at around 50 mpg. New cheap Priuses are better -- close to break even -- but electric cars IMO have a ways to go.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    6. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      We're also ignoring the cost of the damage caused by CO2 and by exhaust particulates. Good grief.

    7. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by geekmux · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I think that electric is in our future but issues with the grid, infrastructure, refueling time will be persistent problems.

      Much like cell phones, removable battery packs would solve a lot of issues, particularly for the give-it-to-me-NOW generation who can't stand having to wait for anything, even if it's a 15-minute "quick" charge. A 5-minute battery swap that will likely become fully autonomous when you pull up to the "pump" is the future.

      What do you do if the power is out for a day to a week with an electric vehicle? Right, you charge it with your gas generator.

      The better solution would be to be able to charge it with solar panels, because the small handful of gas stations still operating during an extended no-electric apocalypse will inevitably be overrun due to demand. While you're waiting for a full battery, you can load guns to protect your food from the ill-prepared hordes.

    8. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 2

      It doesn't appear to me they included the cost of charger and installation.

    9. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not forgetting the variations in gas prices between the different gas stations across the country and even across the same city due the variations in earnings and house prices. Plus the prices go up the minute there is a "crisis" in the Gulf of Mexico or the Middle East. Having cars run off electricity blows up all that "value added" crap.

    10. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by wonkavader · · Score: 2

      There should be one on gasoline as well, but certainly diesel's should be higher.

    11. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      The study also assume all miles driven can be done in the EV. It ignores the percentage of miles that are long trip miles, and the cost of renting and fueling a vehicle to make those trips. (the solution many suggest to range issues).

    12. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1, Insightful

      removable battery packs would solve a lot of issues

      No, they'd solve one issue, but create a bunch of new ones. Removable battery packs requires a standard size, which will stifle progress in battery tech. Standard sizes don't work very well with different models of car, requiring bigger or smaller packs. Also, making a removable battery removes a lot of design freedom, and forces a suboptimal battery placement and connection. It required bulky and complicated battery replacement robots, and a bulky storage facility for batteries. And you still need a beefy grid connection to recharge them.

      Fast charging is a problem that can be solved with better battery technology.

    13. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by asylumx · · Score: 1

      Yup, we could be fair and drop ALL the subsidies, and see how it pans out -- but that would cause hysteria!

    14. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We're also ignoring the cost of the damage caused by CO2 and by exhaust particulates. Good grief.

      The purpose of the study was to compare cost of "OWNERSHIP". Maybe you missed that part. There are other studies that discuss environmental costs.

    15. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by taiwanjohn · · Score: 4, Informative

      In a few years, EVs will be cheaper anyway, even without any subsidies. The price of battery storage (in $/kwh) has been declining steadily at about 15%/yr for the last couple of decades. By 2022~23 there will be several EVs on the market for around $20k, simply because the batteries will be that cheap by then.

      At that point, it's getting close to 'game over' territory for the ICE vehicle market. If EVs are cheaper all around, they will win. (Not to mention that they also tend to be far more reliable, because they only have a few dozen moving parts, rather than thousands.)

      A Stanford lecturer, Tony Seba, wrote a book about this upcoming market shift, called "Clean Disruption." He also does a lecture on the topic, which you can find on YouTube. Pretty interesting stuff.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough of it. --AC
    16. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by wonkavader · · Score: 1

      The Prius is a hybrid, and the article's graph says yes, they are more expensive, but it also shows electric is cheaper right off the bat. So they agree with your analysis of the Prius and don't have your lack of data on electrics.

      Costs are different in the UK. Mostly they're higher -- labor, electricity, manufactured goods. But they have different choices in cars than we do, and those cars tend to be lighter.

      From their analysis, it's pretty clear that in the US, where electricity is cheaper, electric cars are an even better bet on a the-car-is-free-just feed-and-maintain-it level. In Illinois, where it's half the price of the UK, it's obvious. Other states have prices which are higher than UK average.

      But the bulk of the yearly cost for the vehicles in the analysis is depreciation. The numbers they give don't make sense to me. NOTHING depreciates like an electric car. A $30k leaf from 2015 is not barely worth $10k. This means that electrics are CLEARLY no-brainer cheaper if you buy a used one, or if you drive the thing for 10 years. (Electrics lose mileage over time, so for some that won't be possible and for some, who just drive to the mall, it won't be an issue at all.)

      A cheap used gas will cost you way more. A gas vehicle will cost you way more bought new and kept for a long time.

      For part of the market, electric has already won, but as is clear from your post, it will take some time before the average consumer figures that out.

    17. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Another 800 pound gorilla is the fact that new vehicles have a large carbon footprint. Part of the goodness of a used vehicle is that it doesn't have be made again.

      A standardized battery pack would be great. Increasing energy density would be a good short-term goal. It's not unlike the gas-tank, and with a little finesse in engineering, could be made modular and easy to change, just like a fill-up. It's then the charging station's choice of how to re-up the electron store in the battery pack, solar, wind, whatever.

      Re-use is very important. Sure, everyone wants something new, but the junkyards of the world tell a different story, not to mention the electricity and manufacturing processes entailed in a *new* vehicle.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    18. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So it's cheapest -- as long as you ignore that pile of money over in the corner that someone else is paying

      Not to mention the glaring omission of initial cost. How long does it take to make up the high purchase cost? It's odd that so few people ever consider those things. Solar panels? Gas furnace? Replacement windows? Great. But how many years will it take to break even on the initial cost?

    19. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Solandri · · Score: 1, Troll
      Most electricity is generated from fossil fuels, so it would be hit by the same tax.

      Do note that EVs are not more efficient than ICE vehicles. Take the ~40% efficiency of an electricity-generating coal plant, multiply it by 90% transmission losses, by the 75% battery charging efficiency, and approx 85% electric motor efficiency, and you get (0.4)*(0.9)*(0.75)*(0.85) = 0.2295. Or 23% energy efficiency for EVs.

      Contrast that with an average efficiency of about 21% for gasoline ICE cars and EVs aren't really that different.

      It may surprise you to learn that diesel ICE cars and trucks are 30%-40% efficient. Diesel engines are much more efficient at extracting energy from the fuel source - about as efficient as an industrial-scale coal plant. That's what's being glossed over in the environmental movement's crusade to eliminate diesel vehicles based solely on emissions. Diesel engines have significantly higher energy efficiency (convert less of the source fuel into waste heat) than other types of engines and turbines.

      It's this high efficiency which creates more pollutants - the higher temps and lean mixture causes some atmospheric oxygen to combine with atmospheric nitrogen (instead of with carbon or hydrogen in the fuel to create CO2 and H2O), creating nitrous oxides. So penalizing technologies solely based on pollution emissions is equivalent to penalizing higher energy efficiency. Higher efficiency and higher pollution come as a package deal with combustion processes.

      EVs are cheaper to operate than gasoline vehicles not because an EV is more energy-efficient, but because coal is so much cheaper than gasoline.
      • Coal costs about $50 per ton. A ton of coal has approximately 24 GJ of energy. That's about 0.21 cents/MJ.
      • Gasoline costs about $2/gallon (without taxes), and has about 120 MJ/gallon, or 1.67 cents/MJ. (You gotta exclude the taxes because if we do switch to mostly EVs, then they're going to have to be charged the same taxes in order to maintain our roads.)

      For the same amount of energy, coal is nearly an order of magnitude cheaper than gasoline, which gives the EV a huge advantage in terms of operating costs. This is not a bad thing - being able to transfer a cheaper but traditionally static energy source into use in a mobile application is an economic win. But don't confuse it for higher energy efficiency. Your EV wastes more energy than my diesel.

    20. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

      Also, it's not just the finance costs on the downside, it's the capital costs on the upside, if you could have put that $17K delta to work for you over the same period (even in an index fund).

      My kids learned "the time value of money" before kindergarten - how can a professional economic analysis ignore it?

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    21. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was a company called Better Place that had automated battery swaps that would take a few minutes.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    22. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      A standardized battery pack would be great

      If you don't need the battery pack to be replaceable, there's no need to restrict yourself to standards.

      Re-use is very important.

      You don't need standard battery packs for that. You could make standard battery cells, like Tesla is doing. Rip open the battery, take out all the cells, and re-use those.

    23. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      There was a company called Better Place that had automated battery swaps that would take a few minutes.

      And they're bankrupt now (or if you prefer, they went to a better place)

    24. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Guess we just have to do more nuke/solar/wind/wave energy.

      As for "efficiency", let's find a measure of human effort required to build and fuel the machine. Using financial units distorts the picture too much.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    25. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by shmlco · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Your EV wastes more energy than my diesel."

      Are those your numbers or Volkswagen's?

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    26. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by thegarbz · · Score: 1, Informative

      Most electricity is generated from fossil fuels

      Most electricity from fossil fuels does not pump massive amounts of NOx in the very centre of densely populated spaces. This isn't a CO2 emissions argument, he directly called out healthcare, something spectacularly bad about diesel emissions made even worse by the location of those emissions.

      But thanks for playing.

    27. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 2

      one we promise will go away Real Soon Now.

      News flash to Americans: there exists a world outside America.

      Meanwhile, let's compare the Tesla Model 3, without any subsidies, to the similarly sized BMW 3-series. First off, which models to compare?

      Model 3 SR: 0-60=5,5s; BMW 330i: 0-60=5,4s
      Model 3 LR: 0-60=4,8s (Motor Trend)-5,1s(official); BMW 340i: 0-60 various measured at 4,8 and 5,1s.

      So now we have our comparison points; let's do the comparisons. Note for the below that the 3-series all have a 15,8gal tank, and the Model 3 LR has an EPA-calculated range of 347/334/318mi in city/combined/highway driving, respectively. SR's battery is the same as LR's except 31 cells per brick rather than 46, so its range figures should be 31/46 times as much, plus a bonus for the reduced weight (estimated at 4%/3,2%/2,5% in city/combined/highway, respectively).

      Base price (before options):
      SR/330i: $35k vs. $40,3k
      LR/340i: $44k vs $49k

      Curb weight:
      SR/330i: 3549 lbs vs. 3501lbs (manual) - 3541lbs (auto)
      LR/340i: 3814 lbs vs 3675lbs (manual) - 3704lbs (auto)

      Energy consumption, City/Combined/Highway (Wh/mi or mpg):
      SR/330i: 248/260/274 vs 21/25/32(manual), 23/27/34(auto)
      LR/340i: 258/267/281 vs 19/23/29(manual), 21/25/32(auto)

      Annual energy cost, based on US average gasoline $2,561/gal, US average residential electricity $0,1319/kWh, and an average US driving distance of 13476/yr. The difference between the gas and electricity prices is roughly doubled in the EU averages.
      SR/330i: $441/$461/$487 vs $1648/$1384/$1081 (manual), $1505/$1282/$1018 (auto)
      LR/340i: $459/$476/$499 vs $1821/$1505/$1193 (manual), $1648/$1384/$1081 (auto)

      Model 3 annual energy cost savings ("combined" is representative of most drivers); again, differences are roughly doubled in the EU:
      SR/330i: $1207/$923/$594 (manual), $1064/$820/$531 (auto)
      LR/340i: $1363/$908/$582 (manual), $1189/$908/$582 (auto)

      Vehicle range (mi):
      SR/330i: 243/232/220 vs 332/395/506 (manual), 363/427/537 (auto)
      LR/340i: 347/334/318 vs 300/363/458 (manual), 332/395/506 (auto)

      Time stopped for filling on a 100% highway-driving trip (anything less than 100% highway = more EV friendly comparison). Assumed EV driving down to 10% capacity, charging to 60% (unless a small amount more will mean one less stop), with average 7,5mi/min for LR and 6mi/min for SR. 4 min overhead assumed per stop (based on my timing of vehicle stop lengths), minimum 30mi remaining at arrival, gas vehicles filled to full at each stop, 1 minute tank fill time. Assumed half tank starting point for gasoline. Format: "trip length (drive time@70mph): SR LR / 330i-manual

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    28. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Fast charging is a problem that can be solved with better battery technology.

      If that's all you think is holding it back then man are you in for a surprise if you ever research this.

    29. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Informative

      Most electricity is generated from fossil fuels, so it would be hit by the same tax.

      Why? Powerstations, even coal fired ones, don't dump huge amounts of very nasty particulates into the air at ground level right in the middle of densely populated cities.

      Do note that EVs are not more efficient than ICE vehicles. Take the ~40% efficiency of an electricity-generating coal plant, multiply it by 90% transmission losses, by the 75% battery charging efficiency, and approx 85% electric motor efficiency, and you get (0.4)*(0.9)*(0.75)*(0.85) = 0.2295. Or 23% energy efficiency for EVs.

      So basically, you get much better pollution control without any loss in efficiency? Sounds like a huge win to me.

      Except...

      That's if you have an old coal plant. If you have a combined cycle plant you'll hit 62% thermal efficiency on the front end, never mind if you use nuclear or renewables.

      Your figures for charging are pessimistic. Charging is more like 80-90% efficient.

      http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/doc...

      Distribution losses are more like 6.5% in the US not 10% that you quoted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      And even some random low power cheapo electric motor easily beats 85% efficiency:

      https://www.acdcdrives.co.uk/t...

      And larger motors are almost always more efficient.

      And even if we take your incredibly pessimistic numbers, you still have the advantage of electric braking. But more realistically, the efficiency is more like 42% plant to wheel (47% taking the more optimistic end of the range).

      So penalizing technologies solely based on pollution emissions is equivalent to penalizing higher energy efficiency. Higher efficiency and higher pollution come as a package deal with combustion processes.

      Which is a phenomenally good argument for electric cars. If you want the efficiency, you want to put the relatively dirty place a long way from people and all in one place so you can have effective scrubbers on the output.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    30. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Also, more to the point, new electricity generation in the US (and most of the developed world) is a mix of wind, solar and natural gas. Modern natural gas baseload plants (combined cycle), BTW, are around 60% efficient, not 40%. Coal is dying.

      When you add new load to the grid, they're not filling that load with coal; they're filling it with renewables.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    31. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by shmlco · · Score: 1

      The thing with Prius is that one should consider the additional cost as insurance paid against gas price fluctuations. And, like most insurance, you hope you don't need it.

      If we had (or have) major issues in the mideast or the gulf (war, hurricane, etc.) that caused gas prices to bump back up to $5/gallon or more, then your Prius could more than paid off the difference in price. We didn't, but that was hard to foresee a few years ago.

      You also need to factor in maintenance costs, yes? We just spent $300 replacing brakes in a 3-year-old car, whereas the Prius does regenerative braking. Prius tires are also smaller (and thus cheaper) than regular tires. Engine maintenance is required less often. And so on.

      As the article indicates, under current conditions, hybrid vehicles are slightly more expensive, but not significantly so.

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    32. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 1

      Oh, I should probably add: one of the options coming out next year for the Model 3 is the performance package. The pricing and specs aren't known, but based on a spy video, plus typical performance and pricing of options on Tesla's other lines over the years, most people are expecting it to be something like $15k and give a 0-60 somewhere in the 3-4 second range. That would be on top of the base LR (I doubt the SR pack could support it), so something like $60k. But we'll have to wait and see. As a general rule, EVs will give you very high accelerations for a lot cheaper than gasoline.

      The dual motor 4WD + air suspension package (also price TBD, expected to be around $5k or so) will likely add a very small performance boost to either the LR and SR, as well as a small range boost. This happens because the motors are geared differently, and when no slip is detected and no extra torque is requested, it sleeps the less efficient motor (with instant wakeup when needed).

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    33. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except the Model 3 isn’t in the same class as a BMW. It has the build quality of a Kia.

    34. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Immerman · · Score: 1

      Why? Last I heard diesel looks and smells worse (at least in the typical American engine), but gasoline exhaust was a significantly larger health hazard.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    35. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Most electricity is generated from fossil fuels, so it would be hit by the same tax.

      Kinda. You state the inefficiency of electric cars by only measuring fuel->drivetrain efficiency, but:

      1. Ground->Distribution for fuel is much more efficient for electric power plants than for cars: power plants can make use of trains and pipelines, cars have to use a network of fueling stations.
      2. Not all electricity is generated from fossil fuels
      3. Centralized electricity generation provides fewer points for environmental clean-up, making it both easier and more efficient, thus cutting any (sane) environmental fuel tax significantly
      4. ICE engines can't generally turn braking energy into gasoline. While regenerative braking's efficiency is frequently overstated, it's still a factor.

      Real world experience seems to support the notion that electric cars are more efficient. People generally run them for pennies (well, dimes - that's a 10c coin for non-Americans out there) a day, as opposed to dollars for ICE engines. If it were somehow more efficient to fuel a diesel VW Golf than a Tesla, then you'd expect that to be reflected in the relative costs of running them. Existing taxes on gasoline and diesel are tiny, and indeed gasoline is frequently subsidized, both by government and by the businesses selling it (the 7-Eleven, not the pump, is where the money's made in an average US gas station) so that doesn't explain why it cost so much more.

      That's what's being glossed over in the environmental movement's crusade to eliminate diesel vehicles based solely on emissions.

      It's not lost, it was originally a popular argument in the 1980s, before it became clear that diesel was significantly worse with emissions per gallon than gasoline. France even subsidized diesel for a while, leading to massive pollution problems. Burning diesel may result in less CO2 per mile than gasoline, but the health effects are disastrous when the other pollutants are taken into account.

      Despite being a tiny minority of vehicles and accounting for a relatively small percentage of total fuel sold, diesel-powered vehicles and equipment account for nearly half of all nitrogen oxides (NOx) and more than two-thirds of all particulate matter (PM) emissions from US transportation sources. Tens of thousands of people die in the US every year due to particulate pollution, this isn't a theoretical problem.

      Is it solvable? Sure. If burned at scale, it becomes easy to do "clean diesel" using a mixture of fuel additives and filters and converters of various kinds. At scale in practice means "Anything the size of a Diesel locomotive, or larger, with, like the locomotive, a dedicated team of support staff on hand to change filters and maintain additives, who aren't going to shirk off the job dismissing it as "treehugger bullshit from the lieberals in Washington."

      Electric cars make sense. Increased use of diesel would be a massive retrograde step towards dirty air and the kind of issues with mass respiratory syndromes that I saw when I grew up with in the 1970s and 1980s and haven't seen since. Let's not do that.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    36. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by shmlco · · Score: 1

      And doesn't Prius have one of the highest resale values out there? There's more to your purchase than just the price of gas.

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    37. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by gumbi+west · · Score: 1

      Nevertheless, it's a good point. I mean, one is syphoning money out of someone else's pocket and the other is making the planet warmer, with unknown consequences. But they both cost others.

    38. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      Also, it's not just the finance costs on the downside, it's the capital costs on the upside, if you could have put that $17K delta to work for you over the same period (even in an index fund).

      Most people are buying a car on credit, so that money is being put to work, but it's being put to work for the financing company, since they're the ones who actually have it. No matter how hard they try, the consumer is not going to be able to invest money they don't have.

      My kids learned "the time value of money" before kindergarten - how can a professional economic analysis ignore it?

      You ignored the basic realities of the situation to try to make a really killer point, which turned out to be nonsense. Over eighty percent of vehicles are financed.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    39. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Maybe there should be a healthcare tax on diesel.

      Why single out diesels when gasoline cars produce both more soot and more dangerous soot than diesels?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    40. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 1

      When you say "build quality", what aspect do you refer to? If you refer to reliability, Consumer Reports ranks the Model S "above average", the Model X "below average" (heavily dinged on the falcon wing doors), and expects the Model 3 to be "average" at the time of its launch. They're pretty much the authorities in this regard.

      And I'm sorry, but some of BMW's engineering these days is humorously bad.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    41. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      Don't keep us in suspense, what are the biggest challenges for fast charging ?

    42. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      No, we've just gone through this in the UK. Diesels were given a tax break (less tax on fuel) for decades because of the lower CO2 emissions, and now we've got dangerously high NO2 levels everywhere and lots of health problems attributed to particulates from diesel soot.

      And that's all with Euro spec diesel and diesel engines. With the bunker fuel they sell as diesel on your side of the pond and lax environmental regulations, it's a health hazard to be anywhere near a diesel powered vehicle.

    43. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Making the pack user- serviceable is all important for rapid change-out. Has to be stupid-simple and done in a way that it's all easily audited as well as the weight compensated for.... because people can't lift them. Think of it as a docking station. Eject the old one, insert the new one.

      But I want them standardized so that they're not proprietary, and therefore a million battery packs that *are* interchangeable. Lacking that, there's a sea of some marketing department's vision of the ultimate, rather than the utility of battery packs that can be easily serviced for *any* vehicle.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    44. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by AMDinator · · Score: 2

      Or you could just purchase 100% wind/solar power like me. My power company purchases more renewable power than they would have otherwise to offset my usage. Still have a gasoline car for now, though.

    45. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      It may surprise you to learn that diesel ICE cars and trucks are 30%-40% efficient.

      That would surprise me, if it were true. It's not, that's peak efficiency. The efficiency of the most efficient diesel in the world is only around 50%, and that's a container ship engine with cylinders large enough to walk around in. It represents the best-case for diesel efficiency. When a semi truck is on flat ground and traveling at a fixed speed, it might approach 40%. When it's doing anything else, there is absolutely no way.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    46. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Making the pack user- serviceable is all important for rapid change-out. Has to be stupid-simple and done in a way that it's all easily audited as well as the weight compensated for.... because people can't lift them. Think of it as a docking station. Eject the old one, insert the new one.

      What you're asking for is shitty cars. Making a big enclosed battery pack and inserting into the vehicle as a part of its structure makes the whole car better, and you want them to stop doing that.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    47. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by jacekm · · Score: 1

      They are cheaper only when no one takes into account cost of the battery replacement after 10 years of use - I'm talking large battery 100 kWh size. Single battery replacement pays for all the gasoline burnt over the period.

    48. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by postbigbang · · Score: 0

      LOL.

      Does your car have a gas tank? Yep. Is it a shitty car? You tell me.

      A battery bank is INSIDE the vehicle, hidden. Do whatever you want to the cosmetics of your car. Still have a fuel tank. The fuel is electrons. Can it be done from underneath? Sure. Hidden panel? Sure. Structurally sound? That's up to astute engineering and standardized placement so that it changes out quickly, extending the psychological barrier facing electrics now: range.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    49. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by munch117 · · Score: 1

      You forgot a factor: The efficiency of converting coal to diesel! For diesel cars, your starting point is diesel. For EV's, your starting point is coal. Why?

      More importantly, you forgot cogeneration power plants. Just because a coal power plant is only 40% efficient at creating electricity does not necessarily mean that the rest is lost.

    50. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 2

      Does your car have a gas tank?

      What are you trying to prove with this example ? Gas tanks are not interchangeable, not all the same size, and carefully designed to fit one particular model of car.

      Compared to a gas tank, a battery pack is huge and heavy, so it's even more important to carefully integrate the design of the battery pack with the car. Also, the connection between battery pack and car is complicated due the large voltages and currents, as well as some systems that circulate coolant throughout the pack, which may be attached to the car's air climate control or air conditioning system.

    51. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Solandri · · Score: 3, Informative

      The first Prius we bought was $40,000. At the time, we could have easily gotten a similar size/class car for maybe $20,000 to $25,000, one that got around 30 mpg. There is no way we paid off the difference in financing costs over the lifetime of the car with the marginal savings on gasoline at around 50 mpg

      That's actually a problem with how the U.S. measures fuel efficiency. MPG is actually the inverse of fuel efficiency. So the bigger the MPG number, the less fuel you're saving. The rest of the world uses liters per 100 km to avoid this problem. e.g. Suppose you needed to drive 100 miles. How much fuel would you need to use?

      6.25 MPG tractor trailer = 16 gallons
      12.5 MPG full-size SUV = 8 gallons
      25 MPG sedan = 4 gallons
      50 MPG Prius = 2 gallons
      100 MPG supercar = 1 gallon

      Notice how every time MPG doubles, the fuel saved over the previous step is halved? Economy cars like the Prius are the worst place to put a hybrid engine. It's already a very fuel-efficient vehicle without a hybrid motor. Adding a hybrid motor and batteries doesn't save you very much fuel. Say a non-hybrid Prius got 33 MPG (3 gallons per 100 miles). Converting it to a hybrid only reduces its fuel consumption to 2 gallons per 100 miles. That +17 MPG may look big, but it's only saving you 1 gallon per 100 miles.

      The best place to put a hybrid motor is in the gas guzzlers - tractor trailers and SUVs. Precisely the vehicles the environmentalists scoffed at hybridizing. If you can improve a 12.5 MPG SUV's mileage to 14.3 MPG (+1.8 MPG), that will save 1 gallon per 100 miles. Exactly as much as putting a hybrid in a Prius-type vehicle. The +1.8 MPG and +17 MPG represent the same fuel savings. (Yes you can save more by switching from the SUV to the econobox, but that has nothing to do with hybrids nor is it a viable option for people who might need the SUV.)

      Likewise if you can improve a tractor trailer's 6.25 MPG to 6.67 MPG (+0.42 MPG), that also saves 1 gallon per 100 miles. This is why Elon Musk was so insistent on developing an electric tractor trailer. He understands that MPG is the inverse of fuel efficiency, and that the best way for the country to reduce it's fuel consumption is to improve the efficiency of low MPG vehicles.

    52. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Why? Last I heard diesel looks and smells worse (at least in the typical American engine), but gasoline exhaust was a significantly larger health hazard.

      Then it turned out that every single one of the diesel manufacturers (is Ford an exception? I haven't seen explicit evidence yet.) was lying about their pollution. indpendent testing shows that diesels put out much more than the manufacturers claim.

    53. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      The efficiency of the most efficient diesel in the world is only around 50%

      And the most efficient gasoline engine is the Mercedes Formula 1 engine which has efficiency over 50%. Of course, it also costs a million bucks and you have to replace it after a few trips.

    54. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if only 10% of the electricity made it through the transmission lines i don't think we'd have the civilization we do.
      probably a typo, but this is not the kind of analysis that suffers typos well....
      seems if you spent the same extreme detail on EV analysis it might be a different number too.
      facts aside, your analysis reeks of bias.
       

    55. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There would be no competition if it were not for someone else paying.

      So, the freemarket is just a fantasy i guess? and we should all just accept socialism as being this perfect machine that produces everything life demands with the littlest of effort? No, freemarkets existed and should be revived, Govt intervention such as subsidies dismember it from flourishing. This is not apparent? even now?

    56. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by AmiMoJo · · Score: 0

      Both of you are wrong.

      The "pile of money" is actually just a tax break in the UK. They don't collect all of the VAT on the sale.

      As for emissions, it's up to the owner. In the UK you can choose who you get your electricity from. I have 100% renewable energy. It costs about 10% more than dirty energy. My car runs on wind and sunshine.

      Someone will ask how I block the coal elections. Electricity doesn't work that way, it's more like a water network where your obligation is to maintain pressure, not make sure your particular molecules come out the tap.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    57. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      About £350 these days.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    58. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes but the price for battery charging is the problem. Telling people that petrol is going to be cheap because of big gas tanks in 5 years time are going to be cheaper really isn't a strong sell. Sorry.

    59. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by hey! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People pay piles of cash to subsidize ICE vehicles too.

      There are in fact two big piles, in fact. The first and larger pile is the non-governmental pile: this is the least visible pile because it's spread out over the population in things like medical bills. Air pollution in the US causes 16,000 premature births, and that alone costs the public 4.3 billion annually.. Overall cost to the US health care economy from ICE air pollution is on the order of $40 billion a year, conservatively. That's not counting the subjective costs of being sick or dying prematurely, it's straight up health spending.

      Many of the public costs of ICE nobody so far as I know have even attempted to quantify, like the cost of noise. The noise cost of ICE vehicles is mind-boggling if you think about it: just take the difference in value of a real estate property located on a noisy street vs. a quiet one and multiply that by all the properties which are exposed to high levels of traffic noise. Surprisingly noise pollution has a health cost too, estimated in the billions for heart disease alone.

      The second big pile is the government spending pile. This takes some explicit forms, such as the costs of drafting, monitoring and enforcing vehicle pollution regulations. But most of it is squirreled away under other headings. Do you really think that we'd spend a dime in the Middle East on defense if there were no oil there, or if oil were as worthless as sand?

      The externalized costs imposed public by internal combustion engine car are staggering. They're just as much public subsidies as any government program, and they're much larger than e-car subsidies. The only difference is that they aren't gathered into a single line item in the budget, which means we don't automatically have to argue for or against the fairness of that subsidy every year. In fact the burden distribution for ICE vehicle external costs is wildly arbitrary and unfair. It's just easy to ignore that.

      The whole point of e-vehicle subsidies is to bring down net externalized public costs for vehicles all types in the long term.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    60. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      A 300 mile range and 30 minute / 80% charge time, like current Teslas, makes the car no worse than a fossil ones for most people. After 5 hours of driving a half hour break isn't a big deal.

      Yeah, that guy who lives in an off-grid cabin and needs to do 9000 miles in a day isn't going to buy one, but for most people it's fine.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    61. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      Nice whataboutism, but that has nothing to do with the sensationalist claim in the article. In fact, if the headline were even remotely true, your concern would take care of itself through normal market forces.

    62. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      Some companies are making a bold claims with new battery tech/charging
      https://electrek.co/2017/11/14...
      https://www.engadget.com/2017/...

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    63. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 2

      An EV is about 4 times as efficient than an ICE.
      No idea where you got that 90% transmission losses from ... and why they apply for an EV but nit your lights, your cooking oven and your TV.
      And where did you get the 40% for an diesel engine from? It is just around 20% and gasoline is slightly below.
      Only very few specialized engines are touching or even exceeding the 40% margin.

      No idea who pays you to spread such nonsense/FUD.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    64. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      So it's cheapest -- as long as you ignore that pile of money over in the corner that someone else is paying,

      Not even close to the subsidies the oil industry receives.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    65. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bet they didn't add in the cost of battery pack replacement for owners who turn turn in their keys ever couple of years.

      Article is complete bullshit.

    66. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      The "pile of money" is actually just a tax break in the UK. They don't collect all of the VAT on the sale.

      It amounts to the same thing. You are also neglecting the other tax breaks, it is not just VAT on the sale. There is massive excise duty on petrol and diesel fuels in the UK, and vehicle excise duty on cars that use them.

    67. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by lenski · · Score: 1

      Responding to AC.... But the temptation is too great...

      Dipshits (bot or not) writing from nether regions (either ass or somewhere else worse).

      The only free market is one where regulation allows for a level playing field. All market participants always want to get the upper hand. In nearly all markets I see (particularly mature markets), ordinary nonlinear effects produce situations where a few players are either lucky or smart enough to gain enough power to control price movement.

      There has never been, nor will there ever be, a truly free unregulated market: It is either regulated or not free.

      The word "socialism" does not mean what your friends in the former Soviet Union want you to think it means. The original meaning of socialism was not "government overreach" but rather (in essence) governing for the greatest good/opportunity/etc for the population. The word you seek is "tyranny", as practiced by every small group of xxx_archs ("olig"archs, "mon"archs, etc) wherever they gain the upper hand over the societies they seek to control.

      Being a developer, I am ok with some regulation: Much of the initial funding for semiconductor technology is an outgrowth of government competing against tyranny during the cold war. The U.S. manufacturing juggernaut in the 1950's was the result of gunvernment funding of large scale manufacturing of tanks, planes and ships in WW2. The (decreasingly neutral) internet is a government program originally intended to build distributed comms infrastructure capable of surviving catastrophic events (nuclear attacks, etc.).

      It is my belief that the dominating reason for the internet bjringing communication to so many so broadly and so powerfully is EXACTLY government regulation: The original requirements, definition and research that produced inter-networking in the early days was interoperability among all manufacturers of equipment that is allowed to join in the program.

      To repeat: The big invention of the internet was government-defined and required interoperability.

      Bottom line:

      1) There is no market that is both free and unregulated.

      2) Capabilities leading to strategically valuable economic growth almost always required significant investment (and regulation) from an entity powerful enough and unbiased enough (like a properly democratic government) to fund development of technologies that would otherwise be locked into little walled gardens that don't work together efficiently.

    68. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Gas tanks hold gas. Battery packs hold joules.

      Very large current capability through bus bars has been done for well over 100 years---> in commercially made automobiles. Look it up. There is no science fiction here.

      We sell four grades of fuel in the US at most pumps, three grades of gasoline, and one diesel. Selling alternate battery packs isn't a problem, only in your mind, which is confined to the idea that rapidly interchangeable battery packs are out of the question. Move out of the box holding back the ability for autos to quickly get more joules. I support the idea of rapid charging, too, but that ALSO involves huge amounts of current being exchanged in outdoor circumstances (in all kinds of weather) by civilians.

      For electrics to succeed, you have to recharge batteries or rapidly exchange them to be tenable. Tenable is important.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    69. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      Gas tanks are not interchangeable, not all the same size

      Because they do not need to be.

      Compared to a gas tank, a battery pack is huge and heavy, so it's .. important to .. integrate the design of the battery pack with the car.

      So you integrate a standard battery pack design into the car. TBH, in the UK at least, 75% of cars are pretty much the same in general size and layout anyway. In fact car makers use certain standardised "platforms" to cover a suprising range of models https://www.caranddriver.com/c.... The exceptions are the ultra-small bubbles, and the big SUVs - but even the latter are beginning to look like standard cars. I'm sure we could manage with two or three standard interchangeable battery packs, and let any odd ball cars stick to plug-in charging as now - no need to ban it.

      It does not "stifle" battery improvements. Such improvements will tend to reduce the size of batteries, which will not cause a problem (just leave some empty space in the module), or increase the range for the same module size.

    70. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      Don't keep us in suspense, what are the biggest challenges for fast charging ?

      Heat and the capability of the charging supply.

    71. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rally2xs · · Score: 1

      Agreeing NOT to steal $7,500 of your money if you buy an electric car is NOT a subsidy. A subsidy is when someone coughs up $X if you do Y.

      Anyway, when they get them to perform like gasoline cars, and be price-competitive with gasoline cars, I'll buy one. I just booked a trip to Arizona next March. The 1st day, I'll drive down I-95 from Virginia, rather than cutting cross-country, and hang a right at I-10 and stay there until I get to the Valencia exit for Tucson.
        This will avoid the possibility of running into a lot of snow. I'll drive 600 - 800 miles the 1st day. Gimmie an electric car that will do that for me and I'll be happy. The 800 miles is about as much as I can endure, and would be less if I had to wait around for a battery charge. Swap out the batteries and we're golden, but the electric has to do what my gas car does or its no sale.

    72. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most electricity is generated from fossil fuels, so it would be hit by the same tax.

      Speak for yourself. In Ontario Canada, on a yearly basis, the output by fuel type is 61% nuclear, 24% hydro, 6% wind, for a total of 91% non-fossil fuels:

      * http://www.ieso.ca/en/power-data/supply-overview/transmission-connected-generation

      The remaining 9% is natural gas. Ontario retired its last coal plant many years ago.

      The province of Quebec lucked out geographically, and so something like 95% of its generation is hydro-electric:

      * http://www.hydroquebec.com/about/our-energy/hydropower/
      * http://www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development/pdf/energy-supplies-and-air-emissions-2016.pdf

    73. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      So to you choosing not to buy petrol and thus avoid paying all the tax on it is the same as the government handing you cash?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    74. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      I support the idea of rapid charging, too, but that ALSO involves huge amounts of current being exchanged in outdoor circumstances (in all kinds of weather) by civilians.

      Why would civilians have any trouble sticking a big plug in a socket ? Seems a lot simpler than dealing with a 1000 lbs battery pack.

    75. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      After 5 hours of driving a half hour break [to recarge the battery] isn't a big deal.

      It is if the time when I need to charge is not at a place of my choosing. Perhaps you are satisfied with random greasy-spoon cafes.

    76. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      Heat is directly related to battery tech. Charging supply can be fixed with local battery buffers (is already being done), or by upgrading the grid connection. Local buffers also benefit from surplus solar energy during the day.

    77. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      It's HOW LONG will they wait for a charge? A rapid charge could be fine. Consider the capital cost if everyone at a filling station is waiting for a half-hour to fill their battery stores. Not gonna happen for most. People lack patience these days.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    78. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by kzwork · · Score: 1

      I prefer to be healthy than effective. Even half the effectiveness of EVs is better than ICEs because pollution and waste are better managed when centralised (at power plant) than spread all over the place. As a bonus you get more reliable car. If the energy is produced by the Sun or wind, I don't mind wasting couple of percentages of effectiveness, but to be more clean and sustainable. Nuclear cars maybe will be even more effective, but you don't want such cars driving around, do you?

    79. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Diesels were given a tax break (less tax on fuel) for decades because of the lower CO2 emissions, and now we've got dangerously high NO2 levels everywhere

      According to DEFRA this is misleading, we haven't worken up to find huge NO2 levels everywhere in fact their stats show levels of nitrogen oxides overall falling https://www.gov.uk/government/...

        Emissions of nitrogen oxides in 2015 have fallen by 69 per cent since
      1970, to 0.92 million tonnes.
        There was a decrease in emissions in 2015 by 4.0 per cent compared
      to 2014.

      Though it is undoubted diesel vehicles produce more NOX than petrol, and we'd should then have lower NOX if we didn't have diesel vehicles

    80. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not just government support. Tesla provides free electricity. Novato, CA provides free electricity, as do some unknown number of other cities. PG&E (Calif utility) provides discounted electricity. Carpool lanes reduce travel time and therefore energy cost.

    81. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      Most cars can be charged while they are parked, using a slower charger, at home, at the store, or at work. Average capital cost may be even lower than for gasoline cars.

    82. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      You don't actually have to charge right where your battery guys hits 10% you know.

      Most people would pick a couple of nice places along their route and do some short charges.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    83. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by careysub · · Score: 1

      Additionally it depends on the marginal cost of your electricity. I live in an area where, due to a utility board that is captured by the power industry, and high air conditioning costs due an extremely hot climate, I pay about 30 cents per kilowatt-hour for every additional kilowatt-hour I use. This makes the fuel for an electric car more expensive that what I pay for gas for my Prius. So a more expensive car, more expensive fuel, means an electric car is absolutely not cheaper than my Prius.

      --
      Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
    84. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      You will have to plan your stops accordingly, i sometimes do that for service stations on the motorways. I don't wait until the yellow empty light comes on, my bladder is also a good indicator when to stop.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    85. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by careysub · · Score: 1

      The Prius is a hybrid, and the article's graph says yes, they are more expensive, but it also shows electric is cheaper right off the bat.

      Which may be true in some areas, but not where I live. I have priced the fuel cost per mile of an EV, vs my Prius, and with the marginal price for my electricity the EV costs more to fuel.

      --
      Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
    86. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by religionofpeas · · Score: 2

      It does not "stifle" battery improvements

      Yes it will. Compare the old Tesla battery pack with the new one. They made a ton of improvements and changes with respect to temperature control, charging electronics and physical packaging. In some cases, they moved functionality from the battery pack to the car, or the other way around.

      And that's just two generations from a battery pack from the same vendor.

      Imagine if the old battery pack was standardized, then they could not have made any of these changes without breaking the standard, and requiring an update on all the charging stations.

    87. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      Does it? Whats the price going to be of a battery in 10 years time as its dropping in price every year?

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    88. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      particularly for the give-it-to-me-NOW generation who can't stand having to wait for anything, even if it's a 15-minute "quick" charge

      Not exactly limited to the new generation. If a six-hour drive becomes a seven-hour drive due to recharging time, that's not a huge deal. It's the fourteen-hour drive becoming a seventeen-hour drive that's a problem. Fourteen is unpleasant but doable. Seventeen starts to run up against the limits of humans to stay awake while doing an incredibly boring job. Once they're self-driving, this will matter much less.

    89. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's why I bought my Volt used. It was $12k. A similarly sized, similarly aged, with similar mileage ICE car was about $9.5K. The Volt gets 40 MPG in ICE mode. The other car got 20 MPG. The fuel payback is 3 years and that's before you plug the damn thing in. Even at $0.20/kWh it takes about 2 bucks to charge the battery that happens to displace the need for a full gallon of gas. Depending on how you drive, you may never need to actually burn gas, meaning your 12,000 miles per year is roughly 316 full recharges or $632 per year. At that price, the payback is a bit less than 3 years. This is before you factor in maintenance that isn't needed, which would save you about $300 per year for oil changes alone. Now your price difference payback is 2.5 years. It makes no sense to pay more when you buy used. And I've lived by the mantra that only suckers buy new. Used EVs are not eligible for subsidies, by the way.

    90. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      News flash to Americans: there exists a world outside America.

      As I'm sure you know, there are electric vehicle subsidies across Europe and Asia as well. So I'm not sure of your point. (As a side note, if the U.S. subsidies are truly so insignificant, why did Tesla's stock drop like a brick when the U.S. Congress announced its intent to end the subsidies?)

      As to your broader thesis, were it really true that EVs are less expensive both off the lot and over their useful life, they would be selling like hotcakes on their own merits and there would be no reason for all those governments to offer all those incentives. So let's try to figure out why your analysis doesn't reflect real-world consumer behavior.

      The most glaring issue seems to be your premise that the proper peer comparison is BMW rather than one of many other more cost-effective ICE vehicles. Just taking as true your claim that Tesla comes out on top (while squeezing my eyes shut and trying to pretend I didn't notice that the Tesla base model you're comparing doesn't even have power seats), that may work for the market segment that would have bought a BMW, but is a purely theoretical advantage for someone who isn't shopping for that level of finish in the first place. And I'm going to take a wild guess that you can't use any other EV to make this kind of comparison since all the rest are sustainably priced rather than effectively a loss leader like the Model 3.

      A close second is your pairing of the shorter-range Tesla with a BMW with a V4 engine and the longer-range Tesla with a BMW with a V6 -- that's apples and oranges by definition. If my issue is range, the V4 BMW will be just fine. To the extent you're using a few tenths off the 0-60 time to draw that comparison, that's a metric that most people don't care about since they use their cars for things other than street drag racing. You seem to be engaging in the same single-issue myopia that you say people shouldn't with respect to long-range trips.

      A third is comparing a vehicle I can actually buy today with one that I can get in a year to a year and a half -- maybe (note that Tesla's own website says that "12-18 months" ends in "mid 2018" and thus apparently hasn't been updated for a while).

      A related fourth is assuming that Elon can still keep attracting investor capital and/or shoveling profit from high-end models into the massive money hole that is the Model 3 and won't have to substantially raise the price over the long haul.

      But hey -- other than all that, I completely agree that everything is rainbows and unicorns.

    91. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      Most electricity from fossil fuels does not pump massive amounts of NOx in the very centre of densely populated spaces.

      Neither do modern diesels. The combination of catalysts and urea injection all but eliminates NOx output.

      But thanks for playing.

      Back atcha.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    92. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Informative

      And that's all with Euro spec diesel and diesel engines.

      Guess what? That's inferior to US spec, where you wind up having to have a catalyst and inject DEF — thereby eliminating almost all NOx emissions. Meanwhile, direct-injected gasoline engines can produce NOx just like diesels...

      With the bunker fuel they sell as diesel on your side of the pond and lax environmental regulations, it's a health hazard to be anywhere near a diesel powered vehicle.

      On our side of the pond, most of the diesel is now ULSD.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    93. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Perhaps SOME electric cars are less expensive than SOME gasoline cars, but there is a huge range of prices for gas cars, even in a given class. If you compare a high end luxury gas car to the cheapest electric,

      Wait, let's do that. People have lambasted Teslas for unreliability, but high-end luxury gas cars are known for frequently having expensive problems. EVs have so much less powertrain that they should substantially reduce operating costs for all classes of vehicle.

      add in the subsidy,

      People have actually been receiving subsidies, so leaving it out would be disingenuous. And now, the vehicles have come down in price to the point that they no longer require subsidies to be profitable, so the subsidies have done their job. Oil has received subsidies, tax breaks, land grants, and been permitted to ignore its externalities which every living thing must pay. The subsidies given to promote EVs are trivial in comparison, and everyone who has made a big deal about themselves while giving Oil a pass on everything it's gotten from us for free is a hypocrite.

      and make negatory assumptions about the probable price of gasoline over the expected lifetime of the car,

      Even the most petrofuel-bullish automotive analysts agree that fuel prices tend to continue to rise over time, but the truth is that there's a dramatic cost savings for many people already. Most of them are making short trips, but guess what? Long commute trips are inherently inefficient, and they should be discouraged.

      you can probably fudge it to make it come out a win, but if you compare apples to apples without subsidies, it isn't so clear.

      You aren't comparing apples to apples. You're comparing oranges to apples. That's cool, they're both fruit, but they are fundamentally different kinds of things even though they are more similar overall than they are different. Sometimes you can substitute one for the other, sometimes you can't. Each one will shape society in some of the same ways, and some different. Societies worldwide have been altered drastically by the automobile; they will have to change their shape again to account for EVs, but not so much as they did when we adopted cars in the first place.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    94. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody's forgetting the Obama bailouts resulting in runaway deficits and a doubling of the national debt to $20 Trillion.

      With 6 years of Republican Congresses? How did they let that happen? What, you mean to say they didn't even increase the deficit enough to add up to that figure? How did that work? Where did the debt come from, what did they buy? Was it shelters for the coming zombie apocalypse?

      But a reminder of the sheer recklessness of the Obama administration is worth stating over and over.

      Oh wait, somebody misspelled the Bush administration. You know, the one that refused to admit the trillions wasted due to their reckless war-mongering, the complete failure to oversee any form of financial regulation, and the general tendency to blame the poor because of the MASSIVE fraud conducted on Wall Street.

    95. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The grid operators should be maximising the use of clean energy all the time so if you add an extra electric car they would have to increase the dirty generation to cope so they are (or should be) filling that load with coal.

    96. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by epyT-R · · Score: 1

      then they're going to have to be charged the same taxes in order to maintain our roads.

      You mean the taxes we're told we need to pay to maintain the roads, or the taxes actually required to maintain the roads?

    97. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Guess what? That's inferior to US spec, where you wind up having to have a catalyst and inject DEF — thereby eliminating almost all NOx emissions.

      Euro6 pretty much requires SCR to pass also. Otherwise it's recirculating exhaust gas, my 2016 diesel has SCR.

    98. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Was this due to the test cheating in Europe and the US?
      Diesel engines are a lot cleaner in the US these days than they were in the past. The odor is distinctive but at least it's clear and doesn't make you feel like you're suffocating.

    99. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The better solution would be to be able to charge it with solar panels, because the small handful of gas stations still operating during an extended no-electric apocalypse will inevitably be overrun due to demand. While you're waiting for a full battery, you can load guns to protect your food from the ill-prepared hordes."

      That might work well in California but I don't think that it would work that well in New Hampshire where we can go for a few weeks without the sun popping out or where you might have two feet of snow on your solar panels. Getting a ton of snow over a short period of time is what can cause prolonged power outages and will also starve your solar panels. What I'd love is a combined wind turbine and solar setup but I'd have to have more property and favorable zoning for that.

      The other thing is that you could just use a relatively old piece of technology if you have a gasoline-powered vehicle. It's called a gas can. In fact I do see people at the gas station filling these things up before a major storm. I suppose that the battery equivalent would be those Tesla home batteries but I think that a gas can would set you back a lot less.

    100. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      Sure, but note that his point still stands. You can't ignore opportunity cost. In the case at hand, it might be the difference between financing $35,000 and financing $20,000. Over (say) five years, you will be making much higher payments in the former case than the latter case in addition to the proportional increase in total interest paid. That money you failed to pay out remains in your pocket. Whether or not you invest it (his original point, valid enough if you are trying to compare costs) or use it to live on because the car you are buying is all you can afford, either way it isn't just the cost differential, it is the cost differential plus the cost of (as YOU note) borrowing the cost differential plus the marginal cost of the extra out of pocket money you have to spend to make the payments.

      This becomes clear if you imagine that -- in order to make the higher payments -- one had to borrow money to make them. Then you accumulate additional debt during the payout period, which basically makes you take longer to pay off the car and pay out more than the marginal difference in interest and capital cost on the loans. There really is no way around it in a fair CBA.

      It's the difference between 15 year and 30 year loans, for example. If you buy a cheap house, you can afford a payment that pays it off in 15 years. If you buy a more expensive house, the same payment might pay it off, but you might need a 30 year loan to keep the payment low enough to afford. You will pay a lot more money out in the latter case, and even if you CAN afford to buy the more expensive house on a 15 year loan, you can't pretend that the extra money you have to pay out to do so is "free".

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    101. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      It is worth mentioning, too, that a 4-year period is unrealistic.

      Not only do most people keep vehicles longer than that, it is also about the time a regularly-used EV's batteries will need to be replaced.

      Convenient, no?

    102. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      Well, our Prius hasn't cost significantly less in maintenance than a comparable all-gas car, and there is always the question of how much it will eventually cost to replace the entire primary battery too (ours hasn't needed it in about 8 years of use). Like any car, they have tricksy bits to them as well. For example, it costs $300 EACH to replace the front headlight bulbs because of the idiotic way they engineered the front end, requiring a partial disassembly of the engine to get the bulbs in and out. If you replace one or two of those over 8 years, it can pretty easily match brake replacements. But your point is well taken, and we do love our two Priuses (one older, one new Prius V). The V doesn't get the gas mileage of the original, but it was both cheaper and a bit nicer inside. But at 40 mpg, the marginal advantage over a 30 mpg gas car has all but disappeared.

      I do agree about the insurance against gas price hits bit. But your mentioning of insurance reminded me that you are also paying a much higher premium for car insurance with the more expensive cars, AND are paying higher taxes on them, for longer.

      According to a Forbes article published back in October (which curiously was trying to make all the same points) an electric vehicle costs about half as much as a gasoline car costs IN FUEL. To drive a full 300,000 miles in a 30 mpg gas car equates to 10,000 gallons of gas at a cost somewhere in the ballbark of $25,000. Half of this is $12,500, your expected cost (rough numbers, YMMV) in electricity. The difference is about equal to the up-front cost difference of a $25,000 30 mpg gas car and (say) a Chevy Volt. For the Volt you will also have just about half the range -- and most of its competitors are worse. You MAY have to replace the batteries in the timeframe required to reach 300,000 miles -- assuming you can reach it at all for either car -- which would completely cancel any advantage in maintenance in the meantime. Then there are the higher insurance, higher taxes, and the marginal costs of the extra money required to BUY the more expensive car up front. And assuming that you run the car(s) less than 300,000 miles just makes everything worse -- for the electric car.

      So no, I still don't agree that electric cars are ready for prime time except as a luxury item, and even if they eventually get to where they ARE cheaper in the fifteen year of ownership lifetime (note that 300,000 miles is owning the car for 20 years at 15,000 miles per year, which honestly I think is pretty extreme anyway), having a higher up-front cost is going to place them out of reach for a lot of people who just can't afford to make the higher payments. In the meantime, they are going to continue to be a pain to keep charged and risky to take on long trips until we build a LOT more infrastructure to support them.

      Note well that I'm not ragging on them for political reasons. As I said, I own two Priuses, and they ARE cheap to run. But my Toyota 4Runner gets 21+ mpg as an SUV, can pull a boat, can hold way more than either Prius, I can drive it anywhere in the US, anytime, without worrying about finding some way to fuel it along the way and I'm fond of it too. Tesla's next round of cars may finally hit the price/range point where I'd seriously consider one -- maybe by the time one of my existing cars finally wears out. But I absolutely need 300 to 400 miles of range before I'd consider one -- all of my gas cars have an easy 400 (almost 500 for the original Prius) miles of range and I can fill them up in five minutes anywhere.

      In the city, as a short range commute car, electric may make more sense. Gas cars get their worst mileage in stop and go in-town driving (Priuses less so, but still). Having long range between fills/charges is less important, especially if you can charge at home. But in my SMALL city, where I drive 3 whole miles to work each way, it would take me an eternity to pay off the marginal cost difference, and short of the 300 mile Teslas wouldn't have the range to do the country driving I also do a lot of.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    103. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 0

      Sorry, but whataboutisms can't salvage this sorry excuse for scholarship, much less one that inaptly tries to compare subsidizing the electric vehicle with subsidizing the IC fuel source.

      And if you were to make an apples-to-apples comparison of fuel sources, first you'd need to account for the fact that a whole bunch of electricity is still generated from fossil fuels. And for the rest that's not, these days renewables receive a lot more tax breaks than fossil fuels and have for some time.

    104. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      A very good point, although I wouldn't say mpg isn't important or isn't the right measure. It is just what I was saying in my first statement -- you have to compare apples to apples, and you have to respect MARGINAL advantages. If you compare a 30 mpg compact car to a similarly compact electric car (and with similar outfitting of "luxuries" and "options" as well), of course you'll get a very different result from comparing a 10 loaded mpg SUV to a stripped electric car, and -- as you very correctly point out -- if a car or truck gets TERRIBLE gas mileage in the first place, you have low hanging fruit in the marginal cost game.

      Not so very long ago, I owned a Ford Excursion that actually got a bit over 11 miles per gallon. You could carry three boys, two dogs, a mountain of luggage, and pull a trailer or boat -- in comfort -- but the mileage sucked. It also had one of those trip meters (early one, the ones in may cars now are much better) so that you could watch what was contributing to the poor mileage.

      On the road, the Excursion's mileage wasn't anywhere nearly as bad. If you filled it up, reset it, and then drove on the Interstate for a few hundred miles, you'd average just under 20 mpg. But the MINUTE you stopped at a light, or a stop sign, the mileage would inexorably get sucked down. It had a 10 cylinder gasoline motor, and just keeping it running when stopped was almost half of its poor mileage, the rest being wasted energy from acceleration. I had fantasies about building a gas-gas hybrid -- basically sticking a lawnmower motor in front of the gas motor and tweaking it so that the lawnmower motor was the only thing running at stop signs but it was geared to kick the main motor back into function as you sped up when the light changed much the way the Prius electric motor does now. Just doing that would have made the mileage go up to maybe 16+ mpg, and of course a SMARTER gas-gas hybrid design would have regeared to avoid at least some of the speedup efficiency penalty and/or dropped back to fewer cylinders on the highway.

      So I am perfectly happy to believe that electric actually makes MORE sense for poor mileage vehicles like trucks, that also have the advantage of more base weight to trade off into additional batteries. The 10 cylinder Excursion motor was huge, and heavy. Its 40 gallon tank was heavy when loaded. The whole car was extra-strong (F250 frame) to hold the heavy motor, gas tank, and "car" stuff. An electric motor of similar power would likely have been smaller and lighter, and all of that extra mass could have gone to batteries and range. Tesla looks like he gets that.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    105. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      I actually doubt very much that any car is going to beat the Prius by much now that its price has come down to the same general range as normal gas cars. Not gas, not electric. I'm also very interested to see what Toyota makes of the general design as battery capacity and efficiency continue to mount. Smaller battery, lighter car, higher mileage still. Larger battery, smaller motor -- perhaps higher mileage still. Large enough battery, electric motor already in the car, add a plug and you have an electric car when you are in town and can easily charge to go short distances, and you still have gasoline and a hybrid when you are on the road and don't have to wait for charging times. That would be the best of both worlds, as far as cars go.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    106. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 1

      As I'm sure you know, there are electric vehicle subsidies across Europe and Asia as well [wikipedia.org]. So I'm not sure of your point

      Read what I was replying to. The person was talking about subsidies ending in the US. But China and the EU are just as important markets to Tesla, and their subsidies are unrelated to what the US does.

      , why did Tesla's stock drop like a brick [latimes.com] when the U.S. Congress announced its intent to end the subsidies?)

      Huh, funny, because two weeks later the drop was almost erased.

      The subsidies are going away either way. It's only a matter of timing. If the subsidy is repealed, they disappear Q1 2018. Otherwise, they likely get halved Q2-Q3, quartered Q4-Q1, then disappear.

      As to your broader thesis, were it really true that EVs are less expensive both off the lot and over their useful life, they would be selling like hotcakes

      Perhaps the problem might be people dismissing them as, to quote, "rainbows and unicorns" and concern trolling about them. Naaaaah.

      The most glaring issue seems to be your premise that the proper peer comparison is BMW rather than one of many other more cost-effective ICE vehicles

      Yes, sure, let's compare a car that Motor Trend measures at 4,8s 0-60 and handling better than a BMW with, say, a Yaris. Because that's totally a realistic, fair comparison. Totally. You're totally being fair

      Just taking as true your claim that Tesla comes out on top (while squeezing my eyes shut and trying to pretend I didn't notice that the Tesla base model you're comparing doesn't even have power seats

      And the BMW doesn't even come with a nav standard - you have to buy a $2750 options package for it. Either you didn't look at the options comparison, or you're deliberately trying to skew the conversation by only mentioning one side (something I distinctly did not do - I compared stats on everything, whether EV friendly or not)

      but is a purely theoretical advantage for someone who isn't shopping for that level of finish in the first place

      The average new car in the US sells for $34k. Not everyone is looking for a used econobox.

      And I'm going to take a wild guess that you can't use any other EV to make this kind of comparison since all the rest are sustainably priced rather than effectively a loss leader like the Model 3.

      There is no such thing as a "500k per year loss leader" in the autom

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    107. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      I'm not really arguing with any of that, only with the direct statement that they are, right now, cheaper out of pocket to most consumers. That is simply not correct. Many consumers can't afford the cheapest EV, but can still afford to make the payments (and buy the gasoline) for a new gas car and can EASILY buy a used gas car. As soon as you start talking about subsidies and externalities and so on, you may be right but you are missing the point, which is that a consumer has to be able to afford to pay for and operate whatever car they buy, and while EVs may be accessible to the comparatively well off professional, they are not really all that accessible to well over half the population of the US.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    108. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 1

      BTW - if you want the simple reason as to why I chose a Model 3 to compare with (since you seem to object to me doing a comparison of entry-level sedans rather than economy cars), the short of it is: because that's the EV I have interest in. If you want a comparison of, say, an E-Golf, a Leaf, an Ioniq, a Zoe, a Focus Electric, an iMiEV, a Smart ForTwo electric, etc, etc with an ICE equivalent.... find someone who's a fan of one of those cars.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    109. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by doctorvo · · Score: 1

      Gasoline is already highly taxed.

    110. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 1

      Oh, and one more comment: the topic of discussion is a price comparison. And on that front, it's not like the Tesla and BMW are "close", and if the comparison had been done against a slightly poorer performing car of the same size, the poorer-performing car would come out on top in the price comparison. The Tesla crushes the BMW in the price comparison. $5k before tax credits, and then ~$1k per year in the US, ~$2k per year in Europe. So over, say, 5 years, that's the Tesla winning by $10K in the US, $15k in the EU. So by all means, go ahead and substitute in a poorer performing car.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    111. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      The question went both ways: in short, why you picked a BMW to stack up against the Model 3. You have no rational response to that, as shown by your repeated resort to sarcastically characterizing anything less expensive than a BMW as a Yaris or Yugo. It's clear I'm interrupting your echo chamber -- apologies, and do carry on.

    112. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      It's an apt comparison. If you want to use less fossil fuels, replacing a car that only uses fossil fuels to get its energy with one that does not necessarily use fossil fuels is a win.

      And for the rest that's not, these days renewables receive a lot more tax breaks than fossil fuels [realclearenergy.org] and have for some time.

      You didn't read your link, pal. It does not say that "renewables receive a lot more tax breaks than fossil fuels". It says that tax breaks for renewables are "outpacing" those for fossil fuels, meaning they are increasing faster. This is a common mistake with those who really don't care to take the time to read a source but just want to score a point, even with a lie if necessary.

      Now it's Saturday, so get outside and clear your head. Don't waste a perfectly good weekend being stupid.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    113. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      Also internal combustion generators don't idle, where most of the automotive air pollution is generated. They run at full power and efficiency or they are off. They throttle generators to meet power demand by turning on or off individual units instead of changing the rpm.

    114. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by TC+(WC) · · Score: 1

      The fact that you're talking about a trip a few months off to find a case that doesn't work for you is pretty telling. That's pretty much the definition of an edge case. Why are you basing your car buying decisions on a couple of hours of charging on a trip you take pretty occassionally? I suspect that you wouldn't constantly drive around in a moving van for the twice a year situations where you want to move some furniture?

      Electric cars don't have to meet every use case a gasoline car can meet before they should be considered a reasonable alternative.

    115. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rally2xs · · Score: 1

      Its because I road rally with the Sports Car Club of America, am just getting back to it after being off for 2 years for medical and financial reasons, and it is the 1st of a series of 5 - 10 rally weekends all over the USA I intend to attend, with the last of them probably consecutive weekends in California. I sold my last car, a 2012 Subaru WRX in 2015, with 124,000 miles on the odometer. In other words, I drive _a lot._ Always have, mainly because I like it, and partly because I don't want to give the TSA a chance to feel me up nor the airlines a chance to beat me up. If they want to do that, they're going to have to chase me down on I-10 at 85 mph.

      Since I can't really afford an "around town" car AND a rally car AND a car suitible for deer hunting at a distance (about 600 miles, which is where my hunting buddies are), whatever car(s) I buy have to perform as well as the ones I have now, including range and refueling. I know people that drive more than me. Soooo... will wait for the "do-it-all electric.

    116. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

      Does it? Whats the price going to be of a battery in 10 years time as its dropping in price every year?

      I'm curious - is there a graph of battery prices that includes 2016 and 2017 prices?

      --
      I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
    117. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      You didn't read your link, pal. It does not say that "renewables receive a lot more tax breaks than fossil fuels".

      I'm continually amazed by your propensity to just lie your ass off and hope it sneaks through. Here's a direct quote from my link -- hopefully all the words are short enough:

      "Just last month, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provided testimony to Congress on tax preferences provided to energy producers in 2016. According to the CBO, approximately $10.9 billion, or 59 percent, of federal energy tax preferences went to renewable energy. $2.7 billion, or 15 percent, went to energy efficient technologies or electricity transmission, for a combined 74 percent of energy tax preferences. In contrast, $4.6 billion or 25 percent of energy related tax incentives went to fossil fuels. "

      Now it's Saturday, so get outside and clear your head. Don't waste a perfectly good weekend being stupid.

      Your projection, as always, is hilarious.

    118. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Neither do modern diesels.

      Errr yeah they do. Catalyst and urea injection reduce emissions, but doesn't remove NOx, made worse by the fact that NOx emissions are a direct side-effect of the efficiency of the engine. There's a reason why many cities are taking the next logical step to ban diesel vehicles rather than impose even tougher emissions which several automakers are showing they are incapable of meeting.

      That's not to mention that catalysts and urea injection do nothing for PM2.5 which is another major health concern and that diesel vehicles are almost the sole reason that many cities in the world have PM2.5 levels above the WHO recommended safe threshold.

      Back atcha.

      Errr ... thanks? I'm going to go with thanks. I'm not sure what you sent my way, but thanks seems like it covers all basis. e.g. Thanks for not having a comeback. Thanks for making this so easy. Thanks for the opportunity to allow me to share my knowledge with others, and for this last one you are most welcome.

    119. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by thegarbz · · Score: 4, Interesting

      On our side of the pond, most of the diesel is now ULSD.

      Oh lol. Talk about picking on the spec that wasn't a health hazard and holding it high above your head. *golf clap* But since you're so proud of it, let's compare. ULSD in the USA contains 15ppm sulphur, introduced in 2006. A commendable effort. On our side of the pond the requirement was ULSD be 10ppm and available as of 2005 and was mandated as a requirement from 2009. No doubt by the time you'll shave off those 33% we'll have banned diesel vehicles.

      And to reply to your quote out of order:

      Guess what? That's inferior to US spec

      You're not even close. Never were. The USA has been a very distinct follower rather than a leader in the west when it comes to fuel standards. Not just in sulphur spec, but also in your much lower cetane (where the EU was 17 years ago), higher ash content (where the EU was 12 years ago), higher water content (this was actually at one time better in the USA), and the GP was right your thick diesel gunk has much more in common with bunker fuel than the higher cut-point EU specs.

      where you wind up having to have a catalyst and inject DEF

      You see you're conflating two issues. The diesel in the USA is garbage compared to that in the EU, but all of that is actually not relevant to NOx, or PM2.5 emissions which is the battle against diesel. These are a direct result of vehicles in the rest of the world focusing on fuel economy. So while a european car will produce more NOx and more PM2.5 emissions regardless of if you buy your diesel in europe or the USA, your lovely all American soot mobile will blast PM10, CO, and that wonderful global warming inducing CO2 out the tailpipe like it's going out of fashion.

      Just like your large CocaCola in the USA is much larger than the large in the EU, so are your vehicle's insatiable thirst for fuel. I'm sure in 5 or 10 years you guys will catch up too, start producing fuel efficient engines, realise NOx is a problem, start peeing in the exhaust pipe to try and control the emissions and then stand there wondering why the EU fought a war against diesel vehicles (my own city has gone from 730000 registered diesel vehicles in 2006 to 120000 in 2016 and we're much better for it).

      Join the craze man, being able to breath is like cool and stuff.

    120. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      So while a european car will produce more NOx and more PM2.5 emissions regardless of if you buy your diesel in europe or the USA, your lovely all American soot mobile will blast PM10, CO, and that wonderful global warming inducing CO2 out the tailpipe like it's going out of fashion.

      CO2 is proportional to how much fuel is being burned. That's why diesels are great to begin with. CO, of course, is another matter. However, I have one all-American diesel and one all-German diesel, and they are both old. Only the German one runs, which should surprise nobody. I also have an all-German gasoline car, which kind of runs. I just had to limp it home on seven cylinders.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    121. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      It's much worse than that.

      Know how humans can only see an almost negligible part of the electromagnetic spectrum?

      That's a similar plight here.

      Americans see electric cars only from the time they are brand new until they no longer work.

      They are blind to the fossil fuel input needed to mine, extract, refine, process, deliver raw materials for electric cars.

      They fail; to account for fossil fuel's role in maintaining electric cars and they fail to factor in fossil fuel's part in disposing of or recycling the components of deceased electric cars.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    122. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      You will have to plan your stops accordingly, i sometimes do that for service stations on the motorways. I don't wait until the yellow empty light comes on.

      You are assuming that I would want to stop where you would want to stop. I never eat at motorway service stations, with their car-park charging points. Returning from visiting my wife's people, for example, my meal stop is to eat sandwiches at a certain remote place on some heathland - no charging point there. I also tend to eat at small roadside country pubs, the less popular the better, which are places not likely to have many or any charging points for a long time to come, if ever. This is in the UK.

      I think there is some USA-centric thinking here, where (I get the impression) most establishments (like shops, roadside diners, hotels, motels) have spacious car parks where installing charging points for customers is just a matter of laying the cables and erecting the posts. OTOH I often stay in hotels on business, even up-market ones (eg Best Western chain) in "quaint" English towns, which have no-where near enough parking spaces for their own guests, and you must park in a nearby street. Finding charging points available to "strangers" in such places will not happen in the forseeable future. On my long journeys I would need to stop specially to charge, and either kick my heels for half-an-hour or join the crowds and eat shit in the motorway services cafe.

    123. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by wonkavader · · Score: 1

      Wow. Where are you? What's your cents per KWh?

    124. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 1

      The question went both ways: in short, why you picked a BMW to stack up against the Model 3.

      You want me to compare an econobox with an entry-level sports sedan. Sorry, but that's idiotic.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    125. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by wonkavader · · Score: 1

      Dude, the cheapest EV is about $8.5K. It's a used 2013 Nissan Leaf, and as cost-effective a piece of transportation from home to the grade school to the mall as you are likely to find.

    126. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0

      I'm continually amazed by your propensity to just lie your ass off and hope it sneaks through. Here's a direct quote from my link -- hopefully all the words are short enough:

      "Just last month, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provided testimony to Congress on tax preferences provided to energy producers in 2016. According to the CBO, approximately $10.9 billion, or 59 percent, of federal energy tax preferences went to renewable energy. $2.7 billion, or 15 percent, went to energy efficient technologies or electricity transmission, for a combined 74 percent of energy tax preferences. In contrast, $4.6 billion or 25 percent of energy related tax incentives went to fossil fuels. "

      Sorry, bub. Those are just the tax preferences. They don't count the direct subsidies to the fossil fuel industries, which are quite a bit more than the tax preferences. Nor do they count any of the external costs. For example, how many wars have we fought over solar energy?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    127. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      A better plan is to have the power grid wired into the roads, so your electric car runs off the grid (mains) while driving. This eliminates the heavy and expensive battery pack and replaces it with a small one that can get your car from your driveway to the road and back. Massive cost savings and eliminates recharge entirely. It will require an expensive upgrade to the roadways, but that's a one time expense.

    128. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess I am really lucky. I drove tour buses for 5 years and big rigs for 20. That included sleeping in mt truck with the engine running. I am in my 70's now and in perfect health.

    129. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Sounds good on the surface (pun not intended).

      Here are the problems:
      1. Traffic densities mean some roads need huge power (big drain) while others will not, and so the grid has to have hugely flexible current balancing skills
      2. Roads have to be precision-built, adding to their capital costs, and have to have a long service life, and must be easy to repair when it weather ages it.
      3. Proximal efficiency means keeping charging coils very close to the ground with no obstructions; they almost have to "surf" the pavement surface
      4. Lots of copper or other metal conductors close to the surface of the road, but the surface of the road has to still provide friction, and have good expansion/contraction/weather skills
      5. Someone has to pay for it, so effective metering vs current/joules used has to be metered and paid for, somehow.
      6. Insulation and interruption protection has to be capitalized as well, adding to costs.
      7. Inter-jurisdictional handoffs have to be made; 120 vs 220/etc, meaning standardization(s) for international road use.

      Upsides:
      1. Charge on the fly
      2. If they give you the coulombs for free, it really is a Freeway!

      Second/third world countries have problems keeping their 24/7 grids alive, and so it's a stretch to believe that they'd buy-in to this concept, sadly.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    130. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Put the tax on donuts and chips, and it might come somewhat close to actually being effective. Health costs due to diesel are rounding errors compared to those two.

    131. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      You want me to compare an econobox with an entry-level sports sedan.

      Only in your own special world is (a) the BMW 330i the least expensive entry-level sports sedan you could have chosen, and (b) the next thing down from an entry-level sports sedan an "econobox."

      Sorry, but that's idiotic.

      I wouldn't go quite that far -- you're just playing dumb so you don't have to acknowledge that your worldview is some combination of elitist and silly. And that requires a fair amount of intelligence, ironically enough.

    132. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      Sorry, bub. Those are just the tax preferences.

      Yup -- exactly that which you previously said was not addressed by my link. Stick a fork in yourself -- you're done.

    133. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That 75% battery charging efficiency is based on the 2006 roadster, which is a power hog of a car. Compare it to the newer models and it's closer to 90% on paper and 82% for real people actually measuring it. Either way, most people are cutting their travel energy costs by about 75%. Quite a few blogs claiming about $200-$300/month of savings. I assume bigger cities with horrible traffic.

    134. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Most subsidies are not tax preferences.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    135. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Rei · · Score: 1

      Only in your own special world is (a) the BMW 330i the least expensive entry-level sports sedan you could have chosen

      Then pick a different one. The Model 3 wins by $10-$15k (US/EU) over 5 years, without counting subsidies. Show me your entry level sedan that's $10-15k cheaper over 5 years. This should be an amusing comparison, both on performance and features. ;)

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    136. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      You're not even close. Never were. The USA has been a very distinct follower rather than a leader in the west when it comes to fuel standards.

      Ah yes, move the goalposts. We're talking about emissions standards and now you want to focus only on fuel standards. But our small diesels have to meet the same emissions targets as gasoline vehicles, and they have had to for years and years, unlike yours. And it's Germany that blatantly cheated on what appears to be pretty much every emission test, not the USA. Our small diesels (e.g. in Chevys) actually meet their emissions targets.

      Just like your large CocaCola in the USA is much larger than the large in the EU, so are your vehicle's insatiable thirst for fuel. I'm sure in 5 or 10 years you guys will catch up too, start producing fuel efficient engines, realise NOx is a problem, start peeing in the exhaust pipe to try and control the emissions

      No, see, this is why you are batshit crazy. We are already doing this and have been for years, which is why our production diesels already emit basically no NOx. We have way more DEF injection than Europe does because of our more strict diesel emissions standards. And then we actually go on to meet those standards.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    137. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Errr yeah they do. Catalyst and urea injection reduce emissions, but doesn't remove NOx,

      Urea injection is specifically for NOx reduction.

      There's a reason why many cities are taking the next logical step to ban diesel vehicles rather than impose even tougher emissions which several automakers are showing they are incapable of meeting.

      Yes, they are attention whores who give not one shit about science.

      That's not to mention that catalysts and urea injection do nothing for PM2.5 which is another major health concern and that diesel vehicles are almost the sole reason that many cities in the world have PM2.5 levels above the WHO recommended safe threshold.

      You have literally no idea what you are talking about. Gasoline vehicles produce far more dangerous soot than diesels, and they produce just as much soot as diesels. So once again, thanks for playing.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    138. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Sure, but note that his point still stands. You can't ignore opportunity cost.

      What opportunity? They do not have the money. They don't have an opportunity.

      In the case at hand, it might be the difference between financing $35,000 and financing $20,000. Over (say) five years, you will be making much higher payments in the former case than the latter case in addition to the proportional increase in total interest paid.

      Right, and what this study says is that it's still cheaper to buy the EV because of what you will save on fuel costs.

      This becomes clear if you imagine that -- in order to make the higher payments -- one had to borrow money to make them.

      Wait, you're assuming that people will take out payday loans to make up the difference? You're also apparently assuming that they won't save anything on fuel (they will) or on maintenance (ditto) and so the total cost of ownership will increase simply because they spent more on the car.

      It's the difference between 15 year and 30 year loans, for example. If you buy a cheap house, you can afford a payment that pays it off in 15 years. If you buy a more expensive house, the same payment might pay it off, but you might need a 30 year loan to keep the payment low enough to afford.

      It's not like that, unless you roll some other factor in. Like, the home is much closer to work, so you get back an hour or two a day you would have wasted commuting — what's the "opportunity cost" there? You could spend that time working a second, telecommuting job! Or the home is in a much nicer neighborhood, and it doesn't get broken into all the time, so you don't have to spend a bunch of time interacting with police and a bunch of money replacing your stuff. You're just acting like people are spending more to buy an EV and then not getting more, which is horseshit. They absolutely are getting more.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    139. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think that it would work that well in New Hampshire where we can go for a few weeks without the sun popping out or where you might have two feet of snow on your solar panels. Getting a ton of snow over a short period of time is what can cause prolonged power outages and will also starve your solar panels.

      Just from the point of view of snow build up on solar panels there are possible solutions: the panel could self heat a bit to stop snow buildup to some extent, and the panels could be tilted to a steeper angle when snow was expected so accumulation would be impossible and returned to optimum angle afterwards. Some complications involved but not impossible to overcome.

    140. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      Except for the variety of EVs that cost around $6000 new for urban transport. Most of them are capped at around 30 mph and won't really work well out into the suburbs (or I'd own one already) but they are REALLY cheap to own and run. And more are coming. Sadly, one of the "best" ones is going to be built only in China, although I have hope of seeing it eventually in the US.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    141. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      Right, and what this study says is that it's still cheaper to buy the EV because of what you will save on fuel costs.

      And what I'm saying is that simple arithmetic says that if they put ALL of the fuel savings on the extra costs, they'd break even if the vehicles lasted for 300,000 miles. Or so. They are making a raft of assumptions about maintenance costs and more without any real data to back them with, and aside from the fact that comparable vehicles are unlikely to LAST to get 20 years/300,000 miles (the point where 30 mpg fuel economy breaks just about even), most people just plain can't afford a new EV, just like most people can't afford a new Lexus or a new 4Runner.

      And (as somebody else pointed out on the thread) the economies are arguably the worst in an urban environment where one doesn't PUT 15,000 miles a year on a vehicle, which is exactly where they should be the most useful.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    142. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At the moment the cost is partly because of government support, but electric cars are expected to become the cheapest option without subsidies in a few years.

      So it's cheapest -- as long as you ignore that pile of money over in the corner that someone else is paying, and one we promise will go away Real Soon Now. Good grief.

      3

    143. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Reziac · · Score: 1

      My F350 peaks at about 14mpg; has a gas 460 engine. Not much difference between town and highway driving. I've noticed it idles very slow, down around 600rpm (highway efficiency sweet spot is around 2200), and wondered how much that contributes. Also runs relatively cold (has to be really working hard to bring the gauge up).

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
    144. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Desty · · Score: 1

      Americans see electric cars only from the time they are brand new until they no longer work.

      They are blind to the fossil fuel input needed to mine, extract, refine, process, deliver raw materials for electric cars.

      They fail; to account for fossil fuel's role in maintaining electric cars and they fail to factor in fossil fuel's part in disposing of or recycling the components of deceased electric cars.

      And, it seems, you see petrol and diesel cars only from the time they are brand new until they no longer work.

      You are blind to the fossil fuel input needed to mine, extract, refine, process, deliver raw materials for petrol and diesel cars.

      You fail to account for fossil fuel's role in maintaining petrol and diesel cars and they fail to factor in fossil fuel's part in disposing of or recycling the components of deceased petrol and diesel cars.

    145. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At the moment the cost is partly because of government support, but electric cars are expected to become the cheapest option without subsidies in a few years.

      So it's cheapest -- as long as you ignore that pile of money over in the corner that someone else is paying, and one we promise will go away Real Soon Now. Good grief.

      Meh. Factor in the astronomical subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry and it may be true.

    146. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Electric would be cheapest without subsidies, but you'd need to remove them from oil and coal at the same time as electric. If you still have all the subsidies on oil and coal, electric with zero subsidy is still close, and wins with trivially small (by comparison) subsidies.

    147. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      The best place to put a hybrid motor is in the gas guzzlers - tractor trailers and SUVs.

      Dodge briefly made a hybrid Durango. It cost $80k and only got around 18 MPG anyway. Nobody could afford it. Mild hybridization ought to provide a nice bump to in-city mileage, though.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    148. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      You want the RPMs to be as low as possible any time you don't want to make power, because that means it's breathing less, and it doesn't take as much fuel just to turn it over. You also aren't giving up as much in losses from friction or from lost heat from compression.

      On the other hand, if you wanted that truck to be fuel efficient, you would have got a diesel. With hard tires you can get 20 MPG out of the diesels when driven gently. Back when it ran, my lifted F250 with mud tires got around 16 MPG on the freeway, maybe just a whisker more. Ouch. That's not driving it gently, though.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    149. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Reziac · · Score: 1

      So I won't complain about it running slow... the low idle RPM did make one mechanic eye it suspiciously, but if it ain't broke... presumably the thermostat is stuck, but I learned with the old truck to leave that the hell alone!

      I had indeed looked for a diesel (figured out the fuel efficiency difference came to about ten grand over the life of the truck) and as I recall you helped me a lot with how to ID a good used diesel, and I looked at a lot of trucks but never did find a diesel that hadn't been rode hard and put away wet. Was getting down to the wire and went to look at one last truck, guy had sold it but had this other one he says look at, try it, you'll like it... And I say no, it won't get good enough gas mileage (since I knew people who were getting 6-8mpg tops with similar trucks) and he says seriously, this one is real efficient. Hmmph, anyone can say that. But it had been recently rebuilt end to end (so practically a new truck despite 220k miles on the odometer) and for $3000 it was a good enough deal to eat the gas mileage for a while. So I test-drove it and the durn thing performs like a new truck, accelerates like a race car, stops on a dime, and handles just perfect. (Allowing for that the long frame means "I need 40 acres to turn this rig around", and we won't even discuss parking spots.)

      So it went home with me and to work moving me cross-country, and even pulling 15,000 pounds up a 6% grade it still made about 8mpg, so not in the league with a diesel but not bad for gas, and 12-14mpg on the highway with a more-moderate load (empty trailer is still 4000 pounds, and the truck itself is 6000 pounds almost exactly), well, that was a bonus. And I absolutely love it, wholly a pleasure to drive no matter how many hours I spend in it (and we've done some 18 hour jaunts together).

      http://home.earthlink.net/~riv...

      Oh, funny story.... I bought it in Lancaster, California; checked CarFax and I'm its 7th owner. (Had always been commercial in CA, never privately owned.) Anyway one day I was getting gas in Three Forks, Montana, and the guy at the next pump says to me: "I'll bet you bought that truck in California." I allowed as how this was so, and he says, "I built that rack." Seems it was originally a studio truck, and they had these overheight racks for their equipment (that's why it's not level with the cab).

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
    150. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And that's without even mentioning the 70% of electricity that's *not* generated from coal. (In the USA. In most other developed countries, that number is significantly higher.)

    151. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by lsatenstein · · Score: 1

      Quebec Canada is blessed with James Bay, a phenomenal watershed. From it, Hydro-Quebec, the only electric company, government owned, generates electricity for Quebec, parts of Ontario, and parts of Vermont and New York State. I understand that the wholesale export price is US 4.5 cents / kwh.
      We residents pay around 7.5 cents per KWH, and 35 cents per day for meter rental. Industrial users pay up to two cents less than residents per kwh.
      Here is where export dumping is beneficial to all parties.

      My home contains a basement plus two story duplex, all electric, well insulated. My heating and hot water costs are lower with electricity than with Natural Gas or Oil. We cannot justify the cost of solar or wind with our abundance of power and its low cost. However, in new startup smaller towns, wind and solar are installed, as thousand mile transmission lines are impractical. Our big city electric costs subsidize the smaller towns.

      In winter we do not bother to close lights, as any heat from the light bulbs offsets the heat from the electric boilers or radiators. In summer, to assist A/C, we insure that lights are not left on indiscriminately.

      --
      Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
    152. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      News flash to Americans: there exists a world outside America.

      You don't think that's a slightly ironic statement to make in a post full of units that nobody outside the US understands, comparing US models in US dollars?

      Meanwhile, let's compare the Tesla Model 3, without any subsidies, to the similarly sized BMW 3-series. First off, which models to compare?

      Model 3 SR: 0-60=5,5s; BMW 330i: 0-60=5,4s
      Model 3 LR: 0-60=4,8s (Motor Trend)-5,1s(official); BMW 340i: 0-60 various measured at 4,8 and 5,1s.

      By lack of units I have to guess it here from context, but I assume these numbers mean 0-60 miles per hour acceleration figures? What made you decide this was the single criterion that makes two cars comparable? It seems rather arbitrary, especially given how irrelevant this property is in everyday life. On the other hand, it does give you the opportunity to pick much heavier, more expensive and more petrol-consuming BMWs to compare the car you favour against...

      Options comparison: Model 3 wins on options pricing and available options [electrek.co]

      Could you stop referring to this ridiculous 'comparison' from a Tesla fanblog?

      Handling: Motor Trend says Model 3 wins hands down [motortrend.com].

      That web page doesn't discuss the Tesla Model 3's handling at all. All it says is that the new BMW 3-Series isn't as good as the old one. It says nothing that could be remotely construed at as supporting your unlikely claim.

      Comfort: While I expect a lot of kickback on this one, I've known multiple long-time BMW owners who've sat in the Model 3 and said it was more comfortable than the BMWs they've owned.

      Of course you do.

      Ability to preheat / precool remotely, including in enclosed spaces (no CO buildup), without idling wear, and without draining a tank that you have to fill up

      But instead you drain the battery and have battery wear. It's swings and roundabouts.

      "Filling up" is - except on trips - in the comfort of your own home

      Only if you have on-premises parking. Very few people have that.

      Over the air updates for every last aspect of the vehicle (which have historically not just included infotainment improvements in other Tesla vehicles, but also range and significant acceleration improvements)

      Oh nice, Tesla can remotely disable features and they can feel free to wait addressing problems until after they started delivering cars. Sorry, but this is not an advantage, especially not when the vendor is as untrustworthy as Tesla.

      Much higher customer satisfaction rates [consumerreports.org] (1st place vs. 14th)

      How is the fact that a car is primarily bought by fanboys an advantage?

      Widespread availability for BMWs; Model 3 production constrained and with a long waiting list at present.

      This. I can order any BMW I like and have it delivered within two months or so. In fact, I can order almost any car I like and have it delivered within roughly that time frame. With the Tesla Model 3, all I can do is deposit $1000 and hope that Tesla doesn't go bankrupt before they get round to making it. Even Tesla themselves, a company not exactly known for being honest about delivery dates, says it will take at least a year and we all know it will be much more than that, if ever. Even if you could make an honest case for the Model 3 being a better choice, I can't actually get one, so the point is moot.

      BMW includes dead cow skins in parts of the vehicle. Tesla, by company policy, does not (using high end synthetics like alcantara (which BMW also uses) instead). If you like leather, this is a point in favour of the BMW. If you don't, it's a point in favour of Teslas.

      Most if not all BMWs are available with a leath

    153. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You want me to compare an econobox with an entry-level sports sedan.

      No, they want you to compare an econobox to another econobox, in order to have a comparison that is actually fair.

      Sorry, but that's idiotic.

      Then why are you doing it?

    154. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by ivano · · Score: 1

      > Diesels were given a tax break (less tax on fuel) for decades because of the lower CO2 emissions This isn't true at all. You pay less tax on diesel because that is the fuel used by most farmers and hence another way of subsidising farming in the EU. We're talking about the 70s here. But if you want to blame AGW for every bad thing in the world go right ahead.

    155. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Removable/swappable batteries? Madness. Next you'll want headphone jacks.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    156. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      The bailout of GM and Chrysler was both necessary (had it not occurred, not merely would those two have sunk, but every one of their suppliers, which would have had a knock on effect of killing Ford and probably one or two of the non-US companies that builds cars in the US) and well done - subsidizing electric cars (and EV research in the case of GM) meant we were much closer to being able to phase out ICE based cars and produce cheaper, safer, and environmentally better electric cars instead.

      It's a triumph of ideology that you'd be sitting there complaining about it. And it's a triumph of hypocrisy you'd be sitting here complaining about it on the Internet, another example of the US government spending money for the public good to create something where the benefits were both short term and long term. The Internet wasn't built by Comcast.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    157. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      You are doing just fine on the mileage, I'll say that. My 10 cylinder Excursion would get 12 mpg or a hair over on mixed city/highway driving for a month or two after putting synthetic oil in it, but you could just watch its mileage eke away when it idled at a stop sign or light, especially when it was still cold. Since I drove it to work, and work was only 3 miles away, it would barely GET warm by the time I got there, especially in the winter. I wonder if some Einstein rebuilt/retuned the fuel delivery system of your truck to idle super low just to get that mileage boost. It might make it harder to start in the winter, but I'd get upper teens on level highway, and maybe 8 or 9 mpg in "normal" stop and go traffic. If I left the mileage computer alone for a year or more, it would eventually settle in at 11.2 and only move a point if I trucked a load up the blue ridge or got stuck in a traffic jam, or take a long flat trip to the coast.

      I did love that car, all two tons of it. Sadly, I failed to get the cruise control replaced in time when Ford issued a late ownership recall, and it literally spontaneously caught fire in my driveway and burned out the motor. I got a replacement 8 cylinder gas Excursion for $5000, and it got a bit better mileage -- around 13 mpg IIRC -- but it also struggled to pull my boat and just didn't feel as good driving it. Eventually I traded it for my 4Runner, which pulls my boat almost as well, but which gets over 20 mpg when it isn't pulling the boat or a trailer, and still gets 16 to 18 pulling the boat. Basically, that's like getting 10 gallons for free every time I fill the tank in comparison. I drive to and from the NC coast almost weekly -- 400 miles round trip plus extra driving there as everything is spread out at the coast -- so I save well over $100/month compared to the Excursion.

      If the heavens opened and somebody GAVE me an electric car with a range of 300 miles, I'd cheerfully leave the 4Runner AT the coast and use the second (really third) car to get back and forth -- why not? But when I run numbers on buying a small electric or used high mpg car just to commute so I could leave the 4Runner there and do the trip down in the Prius at 40+ mpg instead, there is simply no way this would pay for itself if I got something bigger/safer than maybe and Elf:

      https://organictransit.com/

      I'd seriously consider one IF it would go at least 45 mph, but running them at their peak speed of 30 down the 45 mph country road I have to drive on to get to Duke (where most people go 50 to 55, naturally) is just plain dangerous. They just aren't enough of a "car" to be road safe, even though the price and range are perfect for commuting IN the city where the speed limit is 35.

      This is where the US car makers screw up. An electric commute car makes great sense, but only if:

      a) The price point is under $10,000. I'd even say well under -- maybe $8000 for one that is decently accoutered.
      b) It has a top speed of at least 45 mph.
      c) It has a "car like" body that can be closed and locked and that protects one from rain and cold wind, and has proper lights and signals so one can drive it in the winter, on rainy days, in rush hour traffic, and feel at least moderately protected and comfortable.
      d) It has enough "cargo" capacity to be able to carry some groceries, work materials (computer case, briefcase, backpack) and/or a passenger without losing much in torque or max speed.
      e) It has at least 60 miles of range, ideally "adjustable" by e.g. adding a second battery pack. Personally, I'd put at least a square meter of solar panel on it integrated right into the roof so it would self-recharge when parked in the sun. Sadly, the most one could reasonably hope to accumulate over a day is around 0.5 to 1 KWH, but even that might be enough to manage a short commute "for free, forever" as far as fuel/charging is concerned.

      The Elf isn't terrible in this regard. a), c) (could be better), d) (in one variant a

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    158. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If "catching up" means we get your fuel prices... yeah no thanks. You pay 2-3x as much for fuel as we do.

      Source

      America is big and we like to drive long distances.

      And we don't really care for diesels. Sales are teeny tiny compared to gassers. Metropolitan cities tend to have stricter emissions standards. Air quality aint bad.

      Here's a real-time world wide air index.

      Once you guys learn to put ice in beverages and get free public restrooms, then we'll talk.

    159. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or perhaps one on the coal used to produce the electricity?

    160. Re:Corrects its own headline in the third sentence by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      I think it's fair to compare the 330i as an entry level sports sedan. Audi has competitors, and possibly Mercedes in this class, although for Mercedes that would be for the individual to decide if they really qualify as sports sedans. Sporty sedans, sure. For a domestic if you similarly stretch the sports sedan qualification, you could possibly pick a Ford Fusion Titanium (also clocking in at near $33K base) The Toyota brand ceded the sports sedan market to Lexus, where it'll cost you more than a BMW in many cases. Nissan/Infinity/Kia/Hyundai/Genesis really don't have anything in the sports sedan entry level category worth talking about that compares to a 330, or even a 320. (There's a reason BMW has its reputation and everyone compares their cars to BMWs - their maintenance and repair history post 50K not withstanding) That leaves GM and Chrysler products, none of which hold a candle. The rest are left out because at best they have sedans with sporty exteriors.

      Note that you're comparing to a Model 3, so whatever you choose should be comparable, otherwise you might as well compare it to a GMC Yukon for all the validity that comparison will have.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
  2. Thank you crooks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People are too stupid to compare costs , they obviously need a scientific study happily sponsored by marketing, to see what 2+2 really means. And if still not convinced governments will throw money until 2+2 reaches 15 or even 17, with 10% annual growth

  3. Re: Increased electrical burden by rmdingler · · Score: 1
    What about the fragile electric grid, you ask?

    A recent analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance suggested that electric vehicles could account for half of all new cars sold by 2040. While electric vehicles consume electricity, they can also export power to the grid as mobile energy storage units. An increase in electric vehicle adoption may mean more flexibility for the grid to respond to supply and demand.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  4. That's why I use gasoline by jfdavis668 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can't afford Petrol or Diesel.

    1. Re:That's why I use gasoline by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      You jest, but that's a universal truth. Everytime someone mentions the price of "gasoline" you know they are paying far less for it than those people talking about the price of "petrol".

      At least in the west.

    2. Re:That's why I use gasoline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Translation, most western govts see "petrol" taxes as a cash cow, and that's why you're all getting ripped off, and especially punishes people on lower incomes.

      Filled up my 2013 Chevy Impala today, $30 something for a tank of 92MON (98 (ish)RON for the rest of you).

    3. Re:That's why I use gasoline by Trogre · · Score: 1

      Petrol. You use petrol.

      Not content with making "solder" rhyme with "fodder", you Americans have to go and call a liquid "gas".

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    4. Re:That's why I use gasoline by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      We call it gasoline since that is what the English first called it. Then they decided that the French word pétrole was cool, and started calling it petrol. Stop borrowing French words and we might keep the languages the same.

  5. Taxes by kenh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let's not forget that in most markets electric cars get a free ride on public roadways. Gasoline taxes are collected to pay for the infrastructure combustion engines drive on, electricity has no such taxes so plug-in electrics pay no taxes based on usage, and hybrids only pay minimal taxes, based on the gasoline they use when the charge runs out.

    --
    Ken
    1. Re:Taxes by Mashiki · · Score: 2

      More like a double or triple ride. As you pointed out, there's no taxes being collected by gas. The electricity in the charging stations is "free" and I use that term loosely, because the actual cost of it is coming out of general taxes, or municipal taxes which have to offset that cost. There's also generally "transmission" taxes, and then taxes on the electricity itself which aren't being paid by people who are driving them.

      If electric car owners had to pay the price for electricity when using those stations, it would quickly dry up. Especially in places like Ontario, where "peak"(8am-8pm) they'd be paying $0.18kWh plus transmission(probably $10-30) on top of the electricity price. Right now, that's being paid for out of general taxes.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    2. Re:Taxes by aevan · · Score: 2

      iow: Coming Soon: Tollways, the Everywhere ?

    3. Re:Taxes by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Think of it as another way to subsidize new technology that may improve our future lives. Currently, there's not enough drivers using the free charging stations to create a taxing imbalance. When tax revenue is ultimately an issue for highway maintenance, one thing you can count on your local, state, and federal governors to do is figure out a way to tax electric vehicle usage.

      Advantages:

      The delivery logistics alone for petroleum-based fuels cannot economically compare to the efficiency of the national electrical grid.

      Electric vehicles can be charged during off-peak generation hours.

      Environmental savings alone by reducing/eliminating ICE emissions would more than offset electrical general pollution even if all new power was provided by the dirtiest coal buring plants.

      Battery technology is currently in its infancy, and whatever current efficiency projections are, it seems a safe gambit future electric vehicles will improve in efficiency dramatically.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    4. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Electricity from the grid includes taxes. It may not be earmarked for roads, but EV owners DO pay taxes on their energy use.

    5. Re:Taxes by aix+tom · · Score: 1

      Battery technology is currently in its infancy,

      Since the battery was invented in 1745, and the ICE in the 1790s, I don't see much of an age difference, and the possibility of efficiency improvements for both,

    6. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Battery technology is currently in its infancy

      Lithium ion has been mainstay battery technology for 20 years, and it has NOT, repeat NOT, improved significantly since the 1990's.
      Which directly disproves your pea brain prediction:

      it seems a safe gambit future electric vehicles will improve in efficiency dramatically

      Your pea brain has even used the wrong property that require "dramatic" improvement. It's not "efficiency" pretty much maxed out for the past 50 years.
      Improvement is needed in energy "density".

    7. Re:Taxes by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Gasoline taxes are collected to pay for the infrastructure combustion engines drive on

      Gasoline taxes are just collected. They don't even remotely cover the cost of infrastructure maintenance let alone the creation of new infrastructure, and there's no law saying exactly what they are to be spent on or that no other forms of funding for infrastructure exists.

    8. Re:Taxes by beelsebob · · Score: 1

      Uhhh... LiIon hasn't improved significantly since the 1990s? What the hell are you talking about man?

      In 1990 a LiIon battery could store around 75Wh/kg, today a LiIon battery can store around 260Wh/kg... Further to that, the price has dropped by about 5 fold in the last 5 years alone.

    9. Re:Taxes by Ichijo · · Score: 1

      Gasoline taxes are collected to pay for the infrastructure combustion engines drive on

      Yet those taxes don't come close to paying for that infrastructure. And that is only one way that gasoline cars are subsidized.

      --
      Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
    10. Re:Taxes by Rei · · Score: 1

      Current superchargers are $0,20/kWh. But megachargers are announced to be $0,07/kWh. How? Wind and solar are dirt cheap nowadays, but you have to have some sort of peaking or storage with them, which ups the price. Super-high-power chargers need a battery buffer so that they don't have to pull crazy amounts of power off the grid at random intervals. When you combine the two, you get a two-for-one - the same buffer that buffers charging also buffers solar and wind. Also, Tesla's battery costs have been plunging as the Gigafactory scales up. When you do the math on the Semi pricing you come up with a figure of something like $85/kWh *after* profit. Crazy-low, but at the same time, still realistic, as the raw materials (even at "spike" prices) that go into them are about $50/kWh, and the whole point of Gigafactory was to get battery costs to approach their raw materials costs. And the batteries in Semi are the same type as Tesla uses in its grid storage products.

      The "experts" thought Tesla's price on the Australian battery buffer was going to be $60m-$120m; it turned out to be closer to $50m. But that was with powerpack prices from early this year, on hardware designed the year before. As one might say: you ain't seen nothing yet ;)

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    11. Re:Taxes by shmlco · · Score: 1

      He should have said modern battery technology, and you're -- pardon my French -- being a pedantic idiot.

      Modern lithium-ion batteries are currently declining in price by 15% YOY.

      And advancements in battery technology are coming at a rapid clip. Be it carbon-nanotube electrodes that cut charging time by 70% and increase power density by 150% (Samsung), or graphene-based super capacitors that promise 7 minute recharges and 500 mile ranges (Fisker), efficiency improvements are coming.

      Too much modern technology (electric cars, computers, phones, tablets) relies on battery technology, and research in that field is hot and heavy.

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    12. Re:Taxes by Rei · · Score: 1

      And the combustion engine dates to Hero of Alexandria's Aeolipile in the 1st century AD. Your point?

      What's that? His engine doesn't resemble modern combustion engines? You're right. And neither do 18th century batteries and motors resemble modern ones.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    13. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, gas taxes cover the costs of road subsidies and actually subsidize most other forms of transit. It's just that States tend to take the gas taxes and spend them on non-transit related things, then claim poverty about the crumbling roads. With a ~$0.77 per gallon tax, and assuming 12,000 miles average, and 14.5 million registered vehicles in the State of California, fuel taxes alone bring the State about $5.4 billion a year in taxes. Caltrans spends about $10 billion annually with 60% of that going to non-road-infrastructure maintenance. 30% of road taxes are currently going to fund a high speed rail line between Merced and Bakersfield, with no route identified from Bakersfield to LA. There is plenty of gas tax funding to cover roads, it's just that States love to spend that money on other things then plead poverty when it comes to roads.

      If you want to put the taxes where they need to be, then tax weight. Weight damages roads, with the damage going as going as the 4th power. The average US vehicle weighs in at 4,000 pounds, and the average Tesla S clocks in around 5,000 pounds. Meaning the Tesla will do approximately 2.4 times more road damage than the average vehicle, but pays essentially zero for its infrastructure costs. The Tesla 3 is also heavier than the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, and BMW i3, and in fact is close to the weight of an average vehicle.

      With the above calculations, and assuming the $10 billion Caltrans budget was covered by excise taxes, there should be a flat $0.06 per mile charge for all vehicles. If we were smart, we'd scale that tax based upon weight ratio to the average. A BMW i3, weighing in at 2800 pounds, would pay about $0.015 per mile for its excise tax. The Tesla model 3, and the average car - both being around 4000 pounds - would pay the $0.06 per mile. And a Tesla S, being a bit portly at 5000 pounds, would pay around $0.15 per mile. That would cover costs of infrastructure as well as scale it to where it belongs - weight, primarily, then mileage.

    14. Re:Taxes by FeelGood314 · · Score: 1

      In Ontario the Peak price is really $0.28. The $0.18 is a magical generation cost. There is an extra $0.10 per kWh charge that is added on at the end of the month to your bill, it is the debt retirement cost, transmission cost and a bunch of other things. They are the 35% extra on your bill but they are really based on number of kWh you consumed. Worse these numbers are calculated at the end of the month and you don't know what they are before you consume the electricity. Ontario isn't the worst offender in this respect but they may very well be violating there own laws.

      In Canada all revenue is general revenue but ignoring that, the tax on gasoline and diesel vehicles don't even come remotely close to paying for the health and local environmental impact they cause so cyclists and electric car owners are actually subsidizing traditional cars.

    15. Re:Taxes by Mashiki · · Score: 1, Informative

      How? Wind and solar are dirt cheap nowadays, but you have to have some sort of peaking or storage with them, which ups the price.

      It's not cheap in Canada. The break-even cost for wind and solar are between $0.28kWh to $0.93kWh according to the governments own numbers.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    16. Re:Taxes by Mashiki · · Score: 1, Informative

      Think of it as another way to subsidize new technology that may improve our future lives. Currently, there's not enough drivers using the free charging stations to create a taxing imbalance. When tax revenue is ultimately an issue for highway maintenance, one thing you can count on your local, state, and federal governors to do is figure out a way to tax electric vehicle usage.

      Nope. Because this has already been subsidized, this is people getting a free ride because of environmental feelgoodism. The same way that same policy drove electrical prices through the roof in Ontario from 0.08kWh@peak to 0.185kWh@peak in less then a decade. The money from building those charging stations(between $20m-80m at current estimates) could mean dozens of new MRI machines, massive improvements in healthcare, shorter wait-times for healthcare, cheaper forms of power like more hydroelectric or natural gas, and on and on and on. Or short term more programs for people in dire need to pay for heating in the winter. The tax imbalance is already here. The costs for the consumer are already breaking people. It's so bad here that Ontario had to ban electrical disconnection in the winter this year because so many customers are facing disconnection. AKA they're afraid people are going to freeze to death. It gets damn cold here. -35C(-31F) is common for weeks on end as far south as London, Ontario.

      Tax revenue is already an issue in Canada. Very much so in Ontario, where the province "offloaded" roads directly to towns and cities which caused a large bump in property taxes. On top of this, in north america we have no real "national grid" the countries are too large. Rather they're split into specific regional grids.

      As it stands now, it takes more energy and more waste to throw up windmills and solar panels, then it does to flood km's of land and build a hydroelectric dam in north america. On top of that, in Ontario ~60% of our electricity is generated by nuclear, around 10% by wind/solar but that 10% is the primary driver of the "consumer cost." Green energy has been a gigantic mess. So much so that it will likely take 2 generations to fix it. Unlike other parts of the world, Ontario has zero reason to dive into expensive technologies like wind and solar. If anything, the policies and actions of the governments in Canada, especially at the provincial level have put people against green energy, electric vehicles and so on.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    17. Re:Taxes by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      You don't know what you're talking about. The generation cost varies depending on the source, Ontario has no debt retirement charge now. It was ended in 2016, if you're paying it you'd best contact your utility because they screwed up somewhere. "A bunch of other things" include the various fees for the "green energy act" you mean. It's not 35%, but it's pretty bad. On top of that you know exactly what the numbers are, transmission costs are fixed, taxes are fixed, the rate you pay is fixed depending on the time-of-day. The only thing you might not know is how much electricity you're using at a particular time of the day.

      FYI the tax rate on gasoline and diesel is 57% and it covers a huge amount of the health and local environmental impact.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    18. Re:Taxes by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      That will change once it gets closer to the tipping point. By then with GPS and new monitoring tech etc, they will probably charge for actual use of the road. With all teh data an EV produces, they'll know at every public charge point how far they have driven and that can be charged for at the same time. They just need to wait until the EV revolution is mainstream

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    19. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Natural Gas conversions for gasoline cars are a small business in New England and have the same benefit. You can fill them up with your home Natural Gas connection and you don't pay road taxes. Some municipal bus systems use CNG as well - I don't think that they pay road taxes for their fuel.

    20. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In 1990 a LiIon battery could store around 75Wh/kg, today a LiIon battery can store around 260Wh/kg

      Hey pea brain #2, the individual 18650 cells used the Tesla were ~2000 mAh in the late 90's.
      They are now about 3000mAh
      That's like a 50% increase in energy density in 20 years.
      Your 75-260 range seems a bit "theoretical".

    21. Re:Taxes by Rei · · Score: 1

      I have no clue what "governments own numbers" you're referring to, but wind in the US (concentrated in the midwest, a region that extends into central Canada) is $32-62/MWh (aka, 3,2-6,2 cents per kWh). And dropping.

      The limiting factor is that, as mentioned, it has to be paired with peaking and/or storage (with a particular emphasis on responsive peaking). But that comes along with a megacharger regardless, since you have to store power for such rapid discharges.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    22. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just imagine the sticker shock when theyre ACTUALLY taxed.

    23. Re:Taxes by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Those government numbers. The US midwest has more sunny days and more windy days then southern ontario where the majority of these things are. Just a FYI.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    24. Re:Taxes by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Just imagine the sticker shock when theyre ACTUALLY taxed.

      There Auditor General's office did up last year or the year before, before the government decided to start building all these battery chargers. But in general, if people were paying the actual cost and taxes at them they'd be paying around $2.80-$3.60kWh

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
  6. Headline vs Truth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is why no one buys newspapers anymore. That and all the other good reasons.

  7. Re: Increased electrical burden by kenh · · Score: 1, Funny

    Wow, that seems totally do-able, I can't think of a better way to move electricity than in battery packs in electric cars...

    --
    Ken
  8. Who is this "Study" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who is this "Study" and why is he always saying things? And how much money does he get for saying things like this? I can say things to!

  9. Re: Increased electrical burden by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're right. Its almost as bad as transporting backup tapes and disks by van.

    Oh wait...

  10. Plugin-hybrid: second best option secondhand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The plugin hybrid is least attractive to buy as new car, but the *most* attractive option once depreciation has done its work.

    A friend owns a Tesla though, and is expenses are hard to get lower: he pays around 12 euro per year for maintenance. I think wiper fluid was his biggest single expense. Fuel is provided by solar panels and thus pretty cheap.

    1. Re:Plugin-hybrid: second best option secondhand by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      A friend owns a Tesla though, and is expenses are hard to get lower: he pays around 12 euro per year for maintenance. I think wiper fluid was his biggest single expense. Fuel is provided by solar panels and thus pretty cheap.

      I suppose tires don't count.
      And why do tesla offer maintenance plans that are around 500 euros per year? Is it a scam?

    2. Re:Plugin-hybrid: second best option secondhand by Rei · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it seems the absolute cheapest way one can drive - if the range is sufficient for them - is a used Leaf. They sell for almost nothing (unlike Teslas, which hold their value surprisingly well) and cost almost nothing to operate.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    3. Re:Plugin-hybrid: second best option secondhand by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      "Is it a scam?" - Depends, do you count insurance as a scam.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    4. Re:Plugin-hybrid: second best option secondhand by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      "Is it a scam?" - Depends, do you count insurance as a scam.

      Most insurance is a scam. The numbers are made-up bullshit and the formulas they're generated with are secrets, even though you're legally obligated to purchase the product. It's a scam from stem to stern.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  11. Inconvienence by fluffernutter · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Considering the lurking question mark that exists the moment over your head when you buy an EV, "Will there be a situation where my car is not charged when I really need it?", I consider this an even trade-off. The thing that makes it uneven (and even unfair) is the fact that the public is paying for your use of that vehicle in terms of road maintenance costs you aren't contributing to and subsidies you are getting. The whole situation stinks. EVs should stand on their own in the market or not exist.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:Inconvienence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      EVs should stand on their own in the market or not exist.

      So basically you're OK with the way things "are", you just need to wait a couple of years for things to right themselves. EVs will stand on their own. By the time they do so without the relatively small subsidies, they will positively obliterate the market for ICE cars. You won't be able to give away a used ICE car, because there will be so many on the market. We are currently in the presence of the last (maybe next to last) generation of ICE cars.

    2. Re:Inconvienence by kanweg · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes, as soon as the kid has grown up, it has to do exactly that. Until then, we don't force the kid to work and don't tax him. Just like human kids.

      Bert

    3. Re:Inconvienence by stabiesoft · · Score: 0

      Unfortunately the kid is now 26(in car years) and still living in the basement.

    4. Re:Inconvienence by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Considering the lurking question mark that exists the moment over your head

      We already do. When we buy and use EVs we think of that lurking question mark that exists over *your* head (anti-EV fluffernutter's head), and then we laugh at the ridiculousness of your statements.

    5. Re:Inconvienence by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Considering the lurking question mark that exists the moment over your head when you buy an EV, "Will there be a situation where my car is not charged when I really need it?",

      Not really. Not owning a car raises the question "is there some time I need a car right now and don't have one", and the answer is "perhaps, but I deal with it". Even when I did own a car, I can't think of a single time when I had a huge emergency for which I had to travel right the fuck now right after a long journey.

      That kind of thing is extremely rare.

      The thing that makes it uneven (and even unfair) is the fact that the public is paying for your use of that vehicle in terms of road maintenance costs you aren't contributing to and subsidies you are getting.

      And other cars get hugely subsidised pollution costs in that the owners and users don't have to pay at all for that.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    6. Re:Inconvienence by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      According to some Slashdotters they need to regularly make 300 mile emergency trips.

    7. Re:Inconvienence by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The thing that makes it uneven (and even unfair) is the fact that the public is paying for your use of that vehicle in terms of road maintenance costs you aren't contributing to and subsidies you are getting.

      If you find that upsetting, consider that virtually all road damage caused by vehicles is done by heavy trucks, but they hardly pay more to offset that. Those costs should be paid by transportation companies and wind up baked into the cost of goods, which would permit purchasing decisions which reflect the true state of the world. Instead, everyone has to pay those costs, even people who don't buy goods which are transported long distances.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:Inconvienence by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      According to some Slashdotters they need to regularly make 300 mile emergency trips.

      While hauling 15 metric tons of crap.

      I'm kinda surprised those people don't own a semi with the way they go on.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    9. Re:Inconvienence by cerberusss · · Score: 1

      EVs should stand on their own in the market or not exist.

      You didn't say why, though.

      --
      8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
    10. Re:Inconvienence by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      "I'm kinda surprised those people don't own a semi with the way they go on." - maybe they have one in their pants when they smell the exhaust fumes

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    11. Re:Inconvienence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, I'd hope that folks would fly a Boeing Electric. Good range is a convenience.

    12. Re:Inconvienence by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Ok so then we should be doing the same for every single startup out there. Lets give every startup government subsidies.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    13. Re:Inconvienence by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      That's rediculous. The fact is, no one knows when they may need to make an emergency trip. That's what makes it an emergency trip. The fact is, it is more likely your EV will not be available for that trip than your ICE. Is it likely I will have an emergency after travelling 300 miles? Absolutely not. Do I feel I want to spend a lot of money on a car that makes it a risk? Hell no.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    14. Re:Inconvienence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My state is nearly 900 miles across (and it isn't Texas, California, or Alaska). "Touching base" at the corporate office once a month is far, far over any EV range until there's at least thousands of supercharger stations in each state.

  12. Cheap, huh... by Nutria · · Score: 1

    How much does an electric minivan cost, what's it's passenger capacity, and how much does it cost?

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    1. Re:Cheap, huh... by wonkavader · · Score: 1

      This is the UK, not the US. Yes, they have those: https://www.nissan.co.uk/vehic...

    2. Re:Cheap, huh... by Nutria · · Score: 1

      "The maximum NEDC range of the Nissan e-NV200 is 106 miles"

      LOL. That won't even get close to cutting it on our (one day, one way) 1000 km drive this Christmas.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    3. Re:Cheap, huh... by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      I'll let Musk and GM know that electric vehicles will never work because people like you need to drive 1000km once a year.

    4. Re:Cheap, huh... by magzteel · · Score: 1

      I'll let Musk and GM know that electric vehicles will never work because people like you need to drive 1000km once a year.

      100+ mile trips happen quite frequently. I used to do 120/day. I wouldn't even consider a vehicle with a 106 mile range. Hybrid would be o.k. though.

    5. Re:Cheap, huh... by Nutria · · Score: 1

      Four times per year, with numerous other 300 km round trips.

      And, like @magzteel, there's a shocking number of people who make one hour -- or more -- commutes every day.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  13. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Where are you living to have week long power outages? Never had an outage for more than a few hours, it's a non issue in most developed countries. Short outages, you are ahead as your car can power your home, making it a net win. Longer outages.. having my car out of power is probably at the bottom of the long list of issues that come from being without power for a week.

  14. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Given the tax bill the republicans just passed, ahahahahHhahahhahahahahahahahahahaha

  15. Not for long by sunking2 · · Score: 1

    The tax revenue loss for gas will have to be made up somewhere. Roads don't pave and maintain themselves.

    1. Re:Not for long by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      We could say the same for CO2. The current level of CO2 world-wide CO2 emission is not sustainable and we will have to drastically reduce the number of ICE cars.
      You are not paying the full price when you drive an electric car. But neither are you when you drive a gas car when you count the pollution.

    2. Re:Not for long by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

      ...The tax revenue loss for gas will have to be made up somewhere. ...

      The is already talk of moving to a tax per mile per weight of vehicle type of system.

    3. Re:Not for long by NimbleSquirrel · · Score: 1

      In the US, 70% of electricity is generated by coal or fossil fuels. When you plug your EV in to the electrical grid, you make use of the power generated by coal & fossil fuels. While the vehicle itself doesn't directly output emissions, you are are still responsible for the creation of CO2 emissions.

    4. Re:Not for long by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While the vehicle itself doesn't directly output emissions, you are are still responsible for the creation of CO2 emissions.

      So tax that as well then; it's a good idea anyway.

      However, given the efficiency of their supply chain, and the 30% that comes from renewable energy, EVs will come out ahead even more compared to gasoline vehicles than today.

    5. Re:Not for long by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      switch to diesel and have immediate CO2 reduction of 20%. Unless of course you buy then a bigger car. Ach forgot diesel is evil because volskwagen. Quite frankly - if discussion about this (and few other things) were led trough land of reason and facts I would not mind to reconsider. I did not like what oil lobby did before (lies and smoke screens) but it looks like the other side (if there is one) is as deep in lies and misinformation as everybody else. As a sign of protest I stopped to separate the garbage (here where I live you can pay a fine if garbage police finds out) - it is all put to sort machines anyway so why should I bother. Zika like virus is probably more effective in any CO2 reduction effort than this idiocy that we are subject of now.

    6. Re:Not for long by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why? There is conclusive proof that climate models vastly overestimate the sensitivity to CO2. Particulates from emissions are a much bigger issue than CO2 output. Not to mention road damage, which goes as the fourth power of road weight, and with EVs tending to be on the portly side compared to the typical ICE, that doesn't help with infrastructure.

    7. Re:Not for long by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      coal should be banned and oil very limited for electricity generation.
      Natural gas is much cleaner and ICE are less efficient than thermal power plants.

    8. Re:Not for long by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      Ok, until it is banned , will you stop yourself from making CO2 arguments about cars that cars that directly burn fossil fuel ?

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    9. Re:Not for long by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      No, because:

      1. EVs + thermal power plants are still more efficient than ICEs when it comes to CO2 emissions
      2. I don't live in the United States. There is a world outside the US. Where I live electricity generation is 99% green.

    10. Re:Not for long by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      They'll just move from 70% to 100% general fund funding. Roads haven't paid for themselves in decades. Why start now?

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    11. Re:Not for long by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      OK. Will you qualify this before making the blanket claims ?

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    12. Re:Not for long by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not true. Fuel tax, road tax and vehicle registration tax add up to several times the total spending on road infrastructure in almost every country. Only countries with extremely low fuel taxes (e.g. the US and Canada) could be an exception

    13. Re:Not for long by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      But you will not qualify your statement that it is your particular place which has less than average fossil fuel electricity generation ?

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    14. Re:Not for long by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      Why, you don't believe some areas in the world run almost exclusively on renewable?

    15. Re:Not for long by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      OK, will you qualify that you are talking about "some areas in the world " ?

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    16. Re:Not for long by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      You never answer the question, don't you?
      I didn't check every area. But I know my place (Quebec) is almost all renewable (hydro mostly).

    17. Re:Not for long by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      Questions about "some areas" are not relevant in the context.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
  16. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    eGolf lease deposit - $4000
    Lease monthly payment - $50
    Price to drive to work 12000 miles at 4m/kWh and $0.11 per kWh - $330
    Total cost of ownership over 3 years - $6740

    Golf lease deposit - $3000
    Golf lease monthly price - $170
    Price to drive 12000 miles at 36mpg and $2.60 per gal - $867
    Price for yearly service - $300
    Total cost of ownership over 3 years - $12451.

  17. Cost of battery disposal? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

    Does the battery have to be recycled at the end of its life? How much does that cost?

    1. Re:Cost of battery disposal? by rmdingler · · Score: 1

      Look at your current 12 volt automotive battery: It's worth some scrap value when you can no longer use it in the vehicle. Recycling batteries shouldn't cost anything, since it typically saves over the mining of replacement materials.

      Preppers will gladly take old automotive battery packs off your hands, and you can bet there will be a "core" charge when you have to purchase a new one.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    2. Re:Cost of battery disposal? by Rei · · Score: 1

      Indeed. Nobody is going to throw away a giant box of nickel, cobalt, lithium and copper. People aren't in the habit of throwing away money.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
    3. Re:Cost of battery disposal? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      For you as the owner of the battery, it costs nothing. You just deposit it.
      For battery manufactors it is cheaper than digging the minerals out of the ground.
      Recycling is always cheaper than doing the whole digging, refining, transporting etc. stuff.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    4. Re:Cost of battery disposal? by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      It can be re-purposed as house battery storage as when its no longer strong enough to push a car along, its still plenty strong enough for home use. Or it will be recycled or i'd hope it can be part exchanged for a new one.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  18. EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by NimbleSquirrel · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I notice that the projection in ownership costs is only for four years. I do have to wonder if they chose that time frame because of the five year warranty some Electric Vehicle manufacturers have on the battery pack. If you factor in a battery pack replacement to those costs for the longer term running of an electric vehicle, then those figures don't look so rosy for EVs.

    I also wonder if they have factored in the cost of installing high output charging outlets in homes to accommodate electric vehicles. When charging from a standard 110V outlet EVs, such as the Tesla, will only get about 5 miles of range charge per hour. It would take a couple of days to fully charge most EVs at that rate. Faster charging is done by installing higher output outlets (using twin chargers, or 240V lines, or three phase). EV advertising typically show people plugging their cars in when they get home, so that is clearly an intended use case. However, upgrading a residential switchboard to handle a high output EV charger is a significant expense, and one that reasonably needs to be factored into the total cost of owning an EV.

    The other issue is that the electricity has to come from somewhere. While some countries have the benefit of renewable energy, other countries still rely heavily on coal and fossil fuels for power generation (for instance in the US 70% of electricity comes from coal & fossil fuels). With the use of EVs predicted to dramatically increase, the demands on electrical grids is also going to dramatically increase. While hydroelectric powerstations are cheaper than coal / fossil fuel plants, they can only be built in limited places. Both wind and solar are very expensive, and again can only be built in limited places. That leaves coal/fossil fuel and nuclear as practical generation alternatives. With nobody investing in new nuclear, that just leaves coal/fossil fuel plants. Burning coal is far worse for the environment than refined fuels (such as gasoline and diesel). Burning bulk natural gas and liquid petroleum is not much better. It seems to me that while EVs are directly free of emissions, they are just moving the Greenhouse Emissions issue further up the chain. In the US, more Greenhouse Emissions come from electricity generation than from transport.

    I really do think EVs are great, but they aren't perfect (yet) and they don't solve everything.

    1. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      Fossil fuels are going to run out, so the switch to electric is going to happen anyway. The earlier we start upgrading the grid, the more time we have for the transition.

      The big advantage of electric is that you become flexible in energy generation, and with a big fleet of electric cars charging on the net, there's plenty of room to soak up excess solar and wind (which aren't very expensive as you claimed).

    2. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by jerry33 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "However, upgrading a residential switchboard to handle a high output EV charger is a significant expense, and one that reasonably needs to be factored into the total cost of owning an EV. " Installing a 240V outlet is not expensive. To put a NEMA 14-50 on to an existing 200 AMP service is typically between $200 to $400. This is enough to charge any EV overnight (e.g. 6-8 hours). Because most EV owners charge at night, when their other demands are lower, there's no issue. In addition the urban environment becomes cleaner, asthma rates lower, and healthcare costs are reduced. It's far easier to clean up a power plant than it is to clean up millions of 20% efficient vehicles. And only 39% of the U.S. electricity is generated by coal, so the "OMG it's from coal" is a mainly bogus claim, as is the Solar and wind are more expensive--that was true at one time, but not any longer in most cases (there are always exceptions). And driving an EV is a much better experience than driving any gas car and far better than any diesel car. Most of the arguments against EVs are of the "it will put the blacksmiths and horse traders out of business" type. Having driven one for over 100K miles, there is no way I would go back to an internal combustion car.

    3. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The US has proven oil reserves for 100% of its current needs, for the next 300 years. Yes, we will run out of underground oil sources, but it is literally 15 generations away, and we do have time to move to a better grid/generation scheme.

    4. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by avandesande · · Score: 1

      I would say having to drive more than 60 miles a day is an edge case- that would be a 12 hour charge.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    5. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      I would think if you can afford a Tesla, you could afford some sort of rapid charging system. Most people would probably plug in every night so they don't have to charge from zero. A lot of the questions you raised about the grid, power generation etc have been answered a multitude of times, try a site like cleantechnica for more up to date info.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    6. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Burning coal is far worse for the environment than refined fuels (such as gasoline and diesel). Burning bulk natural gas and liquid petroleum is not much better. It seems to me that while EVs are directly free of emissions, they are just moving the Greenhouse Emissions issue further up the chain.

      Burning coal (even better gas) in a power-generation station is dramatically better than burning petrol in an engine. That's because power-generation stations are required to invest in expensive and heavy equipment to reduce pollution and raise efficiency - equipment that can never be deployed on ICE engines which have weight and movement requirements. Moreover, even merely "moving up the chain" means moving unhealthy particle pollution away from the cities, into relatively distant stations (or at least, high chimneys).

    7. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I do have to wonder if they chose that time frame because of the five year warranty some Electric Vehicle manufacturers have on the battery pack. "

      Most EV manufacturers give an eight year warranty, and batteries tend to outlast the warranty anyway.

    8. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      4 years makes no sense. My ICE cars are going to be with me for 20+. Annual costs are dirt when it's just maintenance and gas. Modern cars go 200k miles easy nowadays before a new one is needed. Plus the new ones are not as nice, the egnines have been ruined buy CAFE laws (read: 4cyl turbos).

    9. Re:EVs are great, but they don't solve everything. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lots of folks commute from the NH border to Boston every day between 5 AM and 8:30 AM and then back in the afternoon. That's an easy 60 miltes. I have no clue how they manage it. That kind of commute would drive me nuts but people apparently manage.

  19. EOL by markdavis · · Score: 1

    >"Electric Cars Are Already Cheaper To Own and Run Than Petrol Or Diesel, Says Study"

    Is that INCLUDING replacing a $20,0000+ battery pack when it gives out after warranty? What exactly is the "trade-in" value of an electric car at that point? Is the 5-year-old car essentially "totaled"? Will it disposable like phones now seem to be?

    I love electric cars, and want one. They have far fewer things to replace and "maintain" compared to ICE cars, and electricity as a fuel is cheap compared to gasoline. But massive, complex battery packs are VERY expensive.

    1. Re:EOL by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Is that INCLUDING replacing a $20,0000+ battery pack when it gives out after warranty?

      Buy a Hyundai, they are offering a transferable lifetime battery warranty.

      But massive, complex battery packs are VERY expensive.

      Who told you that? They're a small fraction of the cost of the unibody.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:EOL by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"Who told you that? They're a small fraction of the cost of the unibody."

      I honestly don't remember where that information was in my head... and now that I research it some, it is dated. I just looked around again and the pricing is more like $8,000 to $12,000 depending on the model, year, and the capacity.

      But if you look at a low-end model electric car but with a larger battery, a $40K car might be worth only $25K in 5 years (???), and if the battery was near needing replacement, $12K is still a lot of dolla. I suppose blue-book will eventually take into account the battery state (like we do with miles on an ICE). Warranty is key in the discussion, especially transferability.

      One main problem with understanding battery life is just how complex the issue can become. They degrade at very different rates depending not just how often they are used, but how often they are charged, how they were charged, and the environmental conditions of both use and charging.

    3. Re:EOL by DogDude · · Score: 1

      Then there'll be an industry standard (or a few) for evaluating battery quality. Bye bye transmission ratios, compression ratios, and hello battery robustness and battery strength.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
  20. Inconvienence: MPG. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Per a unit, petrol and diesel may be more expensive than electricity, but there's also the given range per a unit, which gasoline and diesel give you more of, which is why they're still favored by those going greater than 310 miles.

  21. You're more right than you realize by raymorris · · Score: 1

    > At 20 mpg, that costs 600 gallons of gasoline, or around $1500/year. Over a ten year lifetime, fuel costs are only around $15,000

    The cost of 600 gallons of gas is $1,260. Forty cents a gallon per gallon is TAX, which pays for things like subsidies to people buying electric cars, "free" charging stations, etc. It's paid buy people using gas cars, but it's the cost of electric car subsidies, roads (used by freeriders in electric cars), etc.

    1. Re:You're more right than you realize by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      I guess you'll also say that the fossil fuel industry has never ever received a penny in subsidy over the 100 or so years and companies like GM haven't ever received bale outs paid for by tax payers either or maybe that is where your gas tax goes.....

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  22. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Imrik · · Score: 2

    Really? Having your car out of power in a natural disaster means you can't easily go somewhere else for a little while to wait for them to fix basic infrastructure. If something is significant enough to knock out power for a week, being able to use the car would be one of my largest concerns.

  23. The true cost of gasoline -- huge! by Paul+Fernhout · · Score: 4, Informative

    To support AC's point:
    http://www.dollarsandsense.org...
    https://www.energyandcapital.c...
    https://www.huffingtonpost.com...

    From the first one, discussing the US defense-related costs as just one aspect: "Put all these numbers in perspective: The price of a barrel of oil consumed in the United States would have to increase by $23.40 to offset military resources expended to secure oil. That translates to an additional 56 cents for a gallon of gas, or three times the federal gas tax that funds road construction. If $166 billion were spent on other priorities, the Boston public transportation system, the âoeT,â could have its operating expenses covered, with commuters riding for free. And there would still be money left over for another 100 public transport systems across the United States. Or, we could build and install nearly 50,000 wind turbines. Take your pick."

    But there are many other external costs to fossil fuels like health care costs (the legacy of leaded gas is still taking a tremendous toll on our society, but air pollution in general is a killer). For example:
    https://thinkprogress.org/here...
    "The average cost of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. right now is $2.47. If that cost took into account the environmental and human health costs of burning the gasoline, however, it would more than double, according to a new study. The study, published this week in the journal Climatic Change, created models for the âoesocial cost of atmospheric release,â a method of determining the costs of emissions beyond their market value. According to the study, accounting for the social costs of burning gasoline would add an average of $3.80 per gallon to the pump price, raising the price to $6.27. Diesel has an even higher social cost of $4.80 per gallon. The study also measured the social costs of other fossil fuels not used at the pump. Coal, for example, would jump from 10 cents per kilowatt hour to 42 cents per kilowatt hour, the study found. And natural gas, which has emerged in recent years as a cheap source of fuel, would see its price rise from 7 cents per kWh to 17 cents per kWh."

    And on the legacy of leaded gas (and how it has contributed to the USA's huge prison populations): http://www.motherjones.com/env...

    A related essay I wrote in 2009 on "Why luxury safer electric cars should be free-to-the-user":
    https://groups.google.com/foru...
    "This essay explain why luxury safer electric (or plug-in hybrid) cars should be free-to-the-user at the point of sale in the USA, and why this will reduce US taxes overall. Essentially, unsafe gasoline-powered automobiles in the USA pose a high cost on society (accidents, injuries, pollution, defense), and the costs of making better cars would pay for themselves and then some. This essay is an example of using post-scarcity ideology to understand the scarcity-oriented ideological assumptions in our society and how those outdated scarcity assumptions are costing our society in terms of creating and maintaining artificial scarcity."

    But the real answer (if maybe not politically acceptable) is not to subsidize electric cars. It is to tax *all* the externalizes of fossil fuel use at the point of purchase, bringing the cost of gas to, perhaps, US$10 a gallon or more. The tax could be redistributed as a basic income to everyone.

    Perhaps the deepest irony about all this (mentioned in the above essay) is mentioned here by B

    --
    A 21st century issue: the irony of technologies of abundance in the hands of those still thinking in terms of scarcity.
    1. Re:The true cost of gasoline -- huge! by lenski · · Score: 1

      Interesting and imho informative essay.

      I would add a few additional points:

      1) Incumbent energy providers (oil, gas, coal, nuclear) have the gift of an ongoing revenue stream: Extracting and refining all the crude oil, gas and coal and for nuclear, spent fuel reprocessing, are all capital and energy intensive processes.

      2) Hydro, wind and solar fail to provide that ongoing revenue stream: Those sources of energy arrive the point of collection whether or not there's a collector (turbine, PV) to get it.

      3) Wind and solar are structurally distributed sources, so it is not easy to concentrate ownership of the means of collection and distribution in the hands of a small number of executives.

      3a) It is surprisingly easy for individuals to put up solar arrays, providing a modicum of freedom from manipulation (rent-seeking) the incumbent providers.

      It is no wonder that fuel executives have and will continue to lie, cheat, steal, kill, buy congress members, fund bogus think-tanks, and either take over or in some notable cases, become entire governments to preserve their rights to near monopolistic profit grabbing. It is my belief that all the talk from "conservatives" about "freedom" and "small government" is a thin veneer over their real goal: To persuade enough of the general population that efficiency, energy independence, local control/ownership/benefit are all a sinister government plot to "limit our freedom".

      Unfortunately it's working wonderfully for them.

    2. Re:The true cost of gasoline -- huge! by Paul+Fernhout · · Score: 1

      Sad but true...

      --
      A 21st century issue: the irony of technologies of abundance in the hands of those still thinking in terms of scarcity.
  24. It's the battery costs, stupid by Slugster · · Score: 0

    (agreeing totally with parent...)
    In case you were not aware, the biggest cost of operating electric vehicles is not the electricity involved in making them move around; it is the cost of regularly replacing the batteries as they expire.
    Any study of EV costs that ignores battery replacement is essentially fraudulent .
    It's kind of like "computing the cost of car ownership" and leaving out the cost of fuel. It simply isn't acceptable.

    I am not "against" the idea of EVs, but I am against the idea of so readily selling them as less-polluting and more-energy-efficient than the alternative, when there are still many questions to be answered about those aspects.

    The only electric vehicles that have achieved widespread use all over the world is trains fed from overhead wires.
    The exact reason for that is because that design avoids completely the need for huge, expensive, consumable battery packs.

    1. Re:It's the battery costs, stupid by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      "the cost of regularly replacing the batteries as they expire" - how often do you think they "expire"?
      "but I am against the idea of so readily selling them as less-polluting and more-energy-efficient than the alternative," why? they are.
      "widespread use all over the world is trains fed from overhead wires." - thats going to change - battery powered train being developed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
      "The exact reason for that is because that design avoids completely the need for huge, expensive, consumable battery packs." - more like the technology wasn't ready when they started to build the rail infrastructure - see previous point

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  25. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you're going to factor in the production and transmission efficiencies of electrical power, you need to do the same for gasoline or you are comparing apples to oranges.

  26. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Rei · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Or instead, instead of playing amateur scientist on the net, the GP could listen to actual scientists who've studied the issue. ;)

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  27. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    These AI bots are slowly getting better but still generate 90% nonsense.

  28. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

    Do you always keep your gas tank at least half full in case of disaster? If infrastructure goes down, fuel shortages will be an issue anyway.

  29. Battery replacement costs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most batteries only last five years. Did they include that replacement cost?

    1. Re:Battery replacement costs by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      this might help https://insideevs.com/tesla-le...
      quote form the article "it appears that most users are retaining over 90% of their vehicles’ original range, even after the odometer rolls well into the 6 digits."

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  30. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Rei · · Score: 3, Informative

    Meanwhile, here's what its actually like to have an EV in a natural disaster.

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  31. you're so full of shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What complete bullshit. How about exploring and mining for all the petroleum and transporting it to the refinery and refining it and then transporting that to your country, and then distributing it to gas stations, then you traveling to collect it as well. Just ignore all the constant military support you also have to provide to keep all those supply lines secure.
    Sure if gas magically appeared in my tank and my car suffered no wear and tear it just might be more economical but no, you're full of shit.

    1. Re: you're so full of shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is in fact quite cheap. Perhaps because the Military support is a myth.

      Transporting electricity over long distance is not easy either. And building those long electrical lines is kind of close to building oil pipelines, in terms of the enviro impact. (Yes, the pipelines when fail are nastier and they require somewhat more maintenance).

  32. Attention poor people of the world by boudie2 · · Score: 1

    If you want the cheapest car to operate, buy an electric. But a hybrid or electric are not the cheapest to buy and nobody is recommending you buy a used Prius or something similar. There's a segment of the market who isn't concerned about such things which is why Chevrolet is bringing out a new 755 horsepower Corvette ZR1. The fuel mileage is atrocious, it costs $120k and they'll probably sell as many as they can make. Some people get excited over that while others want a blender on wheels. Go figure.

    1. Re:Attention poor people of the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What the fuck are you babbling about? Few people own muscle cars. It's a total non-element in this conversation. You may as well include the number of people who own a helicopter and use it as their primary mode of transportation.

    2. Re:Attention poor people of the world by boudie2 · · Score: 1

      You can still take the bus. You probably ride in the short yellow one. Lose your mommy?

    3. Re:Attention poor people of the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sad!

  33. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So the natural disaster also drained your battery? What kind is that? No your ISP blocking twitter is not a natural disaster.

  34. Wait till you have to replace the battery by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 0

    People are gonna be pissed when they discover how much it's going to cost them to replace the battery in about 3 years.

    1. Re:Wait till you have to replace the battery by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 1

      Most people lease cars now-a-days, don't they? They'll just lease a new one. It's someone else's problem. The *used car market will become a pile of dead batteries, but hey screw the little guy he doesn't count.

      * Sorry to be correct it's now 'pre-owned'.

    2. Re:Wait till you have to replace the battery by zwede · · Score: 1

      People are gonna be pissed when they discover how much it's going to cost them to replace the battery in about 3 years.

      My EV is 4.5 years old and the battery has 97% of the capacity it had when it was new. I have not seen any degradation at all the last 3 years, what little I've had was all in the first year. Try again.

    3. Re:Wait till you have to replace the battery by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 1

      Anecdotal observations are not a preponderance of evidence. By contrast, while Tesla is claiming great performance over tens of thousands of miles, they qualify that by saying it's "simulated" miles.

    4. Re:Wait till you have to replace the battery by Barsteward · · Score: 2

      https://insideevs.com/tesla-le... - read this article for an update... in case you don't, a quote "it appears that most users are retaining over 90% of their vehicles’ original range, even after the odometer rolls well into the 6 digits."

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    5. Re:Wait till you have to replace the battery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That myth is old.
      EV's don't need new batteries.
      it'S rather Batteries that need new EV's when the original one is worn.

  35. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Typical leftist reply. I donâ(TM)t have to answer your arguments, I just have to insult you or label you so I can say your arguments are to be ignored.

  36. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by gumbi+west · · Score: 1

    Might have been before, but now electrics are getting CO2 emissions similar to 50-150 MGP cars, depending on your local electric company's mix.

  37. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by bestweasel · · Score: 1

    "The researchers analysed the total cost of ownership of cars over four years, including the purchase price and depreciation, fuel, insurance, taxation and maintenance."

  38. bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My kids learned "the time value of money" before kindergarten

    No they didn't, making up bullshit detracts from your point. Try again idiot.

    1. Re:Bullshit by DirkDaring · · Score: 1

      So everyone in the world buys Hyundai Accents. Got it.

  39. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Where are you living that you have hour-long power outages?
    I don't remember single minute of power outage in my life.

    (Above is tongue in cheek and not too serious. The statement is true but I'm aware that large parts of then planet have problems with outages)

  40. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    EVs are useful only if you lease them. However, if you were to own them, they're a lot more expensive.

    7 years of ownership cost:

    VW Golf - $24k
    12,000 miles / yr @ $2.60 and 30 mpg = $7,280
    service costs at $400/yr = $2,800
    Car sold for $7,000
    Cost of ownership = $3,900 / year

    eGolf - $36k
    12,000 miles/yr, 4 mile/kWh at $0.11/kWh = $2,310
    Car sold for $7,000
    Cost of ownership = $4,500/year

    So the egolf is slightly expensive, thanks to the expensive battery.

  41. Re bailouts: Started on Bush Jr watch by lenski · · Score: 2

    Yo Sparky,

    Apparently 9 years ago is "history", and I infer from your comment that you didn't do too well there.

    The bailout began on Bush Jr's watch. Bernanke and Paulson brought a single-page set of required steps to the U.S. Congress in October 2008 to prevent an immediate and complete meltdown of a worldwide financial system.

    Following up on the Bush bank bailout, Obama had a challenge: Continue supporting the bailout of the motherfuckers that almost took out the world economy, or put up with the fallout of the worldwide depression without it.

    <conjecture>
    I am guessing that you and your other apparatchik friends are all good with the new tax bill the U.S. Senate just passed. You may think that by sucking up to the new oligarchy that they will grant you some space in their world. You are wrong.
    </conjecture>

    History (there's that word again) shows that societies destabilized by extreme inequality always fall and when they do, they tumble down hardest on the general population.

    1. Re:Re bailouts: Started on Bush Jr watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YO sparked-out, it was President Bush being bipartisan and Presidential when he agreed to do what President-elect Obama asked in regards to the bailouts.

  42. I was shocked. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did this math 3 days ago and will soon order a Tesla 3 because it turns out to be cheaper by a long shot than operating the car I have now. I was stunned to see the numbers. Iâ(TM)m still very nervous about charging points or lack thereof in the mid western USA but thatâ(TM)s changing rapidly too.

  43. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Solandri · · Score: 3, Informative

    The cost of the eGolf lease is dependent on the $7500 Federal EV tax credit, and probably the $2500 California credit as well. Add that $10k to the eGolf's lease price and you get a very different picture. Which was GP's point.

    Also, I'm curious where you were able to find it for a $50/mo lease payment. When I almost leased one a couple years back, the lowest price I could find was $79/mo.

  44. Study is total bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Says anyone that bothers to do all the math, but doesn't have an agenda.

  45. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, not true. The oil industry more heavily subsidized than clean electricity. Hell, the US government even fights wars their behalf. Switching to clean electricity is one of the best things any country can do. That switch requires planning and organization on a massive and complex scale, which is what governments typically do better than corporations, even the ideologically dysfunctional USA.

  46. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Crashmarik · · Score: 2

    Yeah because the math is different for them and everyone shouldn't reach the same conclusions.

    I love this new science.

  47. I think this is cherry picked by magzteel · · Score: 2
    From the article: "The researchers analysed the total cost of ownership of cars over four years, including the purchase price and depreciation, fuel, insurance, taxation and maintenance. They were surprised to find that pure electric cars came out cheapest in all the markets they examined: UK, Japan, Texas and California."

    But the "journal of applied energy" report they reference said "To address this gap, this research provides a more extensive Total Cost of Ownership assessment of conventional, Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles in three industrialized countries – the UK, USA (using California and Texas as case studies) and Japan – for the time period 1997–2015."

    So they had almost 20 years of data but reported on only the first 4 years of car ownership. Such a short period seems suspect to me.

  48. Coal, oil, nuclear, gas by p51d007 · · Score: 1

    All used to MAKE electricity. Plus, the raw materials needed to make the "electric" cars are toxic. No, petrol cars are still economical. Take away the tons of subsidies and they are WAY more expensive than the electric car.

    1. Re:Coal, oil, nuclear, gas by Computershack · · Score: 1

      A modern ICE car is almost 100% recyclable and all that can be is. Whilst it is a similar story with the electric car nobody yet bothers to recycle the lithium battery because it costs far more to do that than just dig fresh lithium out the ground and process it.

      --
      I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either. - Scott Adams
    2. Re:Coal, oil, nuclear, gas by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      there are companies out there doing the recycling plus they can be re-purposed as home batteries because a working battery not usable in a car is still powerful enough for a home.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  49. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 1

    Good article, but party foul for the fact that you wrote it in the first place...

  50. Illness and death by DogDude · · Score: 1

    Let's not forget that ICE vehicles cause massive illness and death due to pollution. I would imagine that unnecessary human deaths probably add up to a bit more than a few pennies at the pump.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
  51. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by jedidiah · · Score: 0

    The thesis of this article was refuted in it's own summary.

    If EV cars only have a 10% advantage in the UK, then there is NO WAY that they are cheaper to operate in the US. EVs are barely making it when compared to countries where fuel costs are highly inflated by the government.

    The analysis probably also ignores the fact that there is cliff pricing for electricity in many places. If you go above a certain threshold, costs get real ugly. You can do this just by running your air conditioner too much or too hard. Forget about "fueling your car".

    Of course for many of us we would have to ditch perfectly functional vehicles first. The costs and externalities of that right there is no trivial matter.

    Once you get beyond all that, you are still faced with the fact that not everyone applies the "cheap junk for less" mentality to these things.

    Hybrids haven't even gotten past that threshold. Forget about EVs.

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  52. Times they are a-changing by lenski · · Score: 1

    Your information is out of date.

    My wife and I just bought two Prius model 2 cars (one last week, one yesterday) and spend $25200 including all taxes and fees and with the 8-year extended warranty on each. The price of the car would be about $21000. These are 2017 models, and Toyota is offering a $2000 rebate.

    Moore's law has brought the cost of perception, computation and automated controls down so quickly and effectively that our new cars have all sorts of safety options (lane assist, blindspot monitor, impending collision warnings, parking assist, etc. etc.) without all the upcharges.

    For a few more days, I have one of the VW diesels that were the subject of the recent pollution control action. (I am choosing the "sell back to VW" option). That one cost $25500 or so in 2010.

    I admit that we have a strong addiction to efficiency, and are willing pay a bit for that efficiency. I estimate that we could have equivalent quality, performance, features, etc. for about $2000-4000 less if we were willing to give up on the safety features. Based on my study of the market in preparation for buying the new cars, we noted that the safety features we seek are available only in the $23000+ price range, efficiency or not.

    1. Re:Times they are a-changing by rgbatduke · · Score: 1

      Sure, as I've said in other replies above, we have two, one 9 years old and one 3. I was presenting figures for the 9 year old one as we've owned and run it for the entire time in between. It is early to judge the Prius V that is much newer but it was $30,000 (down from $40,000+ for the original). We MIGHT break even on the V in the long run compared to similar size cars we might have bought at the time, but it will be close -- it only gets around 40 mpg compared to the originals 50 mpg (it's a bigger car, though, not apples to apples). The smaller Prius (C? can't remember) is cheaper and maybe a bit smaller than the original Prius and it might well be the best deal in its class year, a clear win. At $20K I suspect it would be, especially at 50 mpg, assuming it still has seating for 4-5 and decent cargo space like the original Prius.

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
  53. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean this new science where if you donâ(TM)t like the results you just dismiss peer reviewed research as politically funded and biased? Yeah, I hate it when people do that. Sure am glad media orgs and corporations are there to set us straight.

  54. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You charge it with your solar panels you insensitive clod

  55. Cheaper....including depreciation. by Computershack · · Score: 1

    Part of the reason they're cheaper is their lower depreciation. However for those of us in the UK who are sensible and would never buy a new car to see half to two thirds of its value lost in the first two years in depreciation then an electric car becomes far more expensive.

    --
    I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either. - Scott Adams
  56. Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

    Electric cars simply don't work if you use your car to drive somewhere without electricity. It's that simple. Just like all electric objects, they work great within the electrical grid, and they die a horrible useless death when there's no electricity around.

    Sure, I drive my car around the city. But that's not far, and that's not long, and that's not expensive.

    I also drive my car to other cities, and through mountains, on vacations and car club trips. Electric cars are useless in such territories.

    I frequently drive two hours between cities, or four hours of concrete slab at a time. That's the fun of roads. Once they are built, they cost nothing until maintenance day. That big highway in the middle of nowhere doesn't breakdown with any degree of frequency.

    And you want to put live power lines along it? To supply electricity to charging stations? You want 5'000 miles of powerlines between cities? Not being used for anything but electricity transport? With repeaters and cables and poles and towers? Think of the crazy amount of maintenance. Oh, and winds and ice and animals and no security of any kind?

    Any bets electric cars will charge off of gas-powered charging stations? Congrats.

    I'll say it again. Electricity doesn't work outside of cities. Just like sewers, and any other kind of infrastructure.

    Change the fuel to whatever you want, but the idea of portable fuel is lack-of-infrastructure. Cars are the definition of portable.

    1. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      Petrol cars simply don't work if you use your car to drive somewhere without a service station and you run out. It's that simple.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    2. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

      There are no road-systems without gas along them. It's actually necessary in order to build and service the roads themselves.

      See, that's what you're forgetting. It's all a part of the same system. You can choose a "better" technique, but if it requires more than the pairing itself, then it isn't "better" until you can justify the added complexity.

      5'000 miles of empty road doesn't support 5'000 miles of electricity transmission because the road needs very little maintenance, and can have a few cracks without any problems, whereas the electric cables need a lot of maintenance, and can't suffer even a tiny amount of wear. The two technologies simply aren't congruent. So unless you're going to enjoy other benefits from the electricity, it simply ain't gonna work.

      Not to mention that transmitting electricity that far is about a 50% loss start to finish.

    3. Re: Still wiltly incorrect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And those service stations all work without electricity???

    4. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by Wheely · · Score: 1

      ThatÂs strange

      I drove six hours across Norway yesterday in an electric car. You have to drive over the mountains to do that. I drove back home the same day in it too.

    5. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      5'000 miles of empty road doesn't support 5'000 miles of electricity transmission because the road needs very little maintenance, and can have a few cracks without any problems, whereas the electric cables need a lot of maintenance, and can't suffer even a tiny amount of wear.

      Nope. Roads need lots of maintenance, a few cracks lead to lots of problems, and are under continual strains of wearing them down, whereas electrical cables need little maintenance and hardly suffer any wear.

      The two technologies simply aren't congruent. So unless you're going to enjoy other benefits from the electricity, it simply ain't gonna work.

      Oh goodness, not only are you wrong above, we ARE going to enjoy other benefits from the electricity. WIN WIN!

      Not to mention that transmitting electricity that far is about a 50% loss start to finish.

      A) There are no 5,000 mile long stretches of empty road, let alone a reason to worry about electrical transmissions.

      B) We already solved that problem anyway.

    6. Re: Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

      They work without electricity between them.

    7. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

      Norway is very very small.

    8. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

      A crack in a road requires maintenance eventually. A downed power line requires maintenance immediately. A cracked road creates problems in that part of the road. A broken powerline causes problems for 5'000 miles. Like I said, they aren't congruent.

      And we won't enjoy other benefits of electricity in the middle of nowhere where no people have ever lived.

      Also: your country != my country.

    9. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by DirkDaring · · Score: 1

      Is ~600 miles farther in your country than in Norway?

    10. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

      millions of square kilometres of roaded area without anyone around is much larger than Norway.

    11. Re: Still wiltly incorrect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Norway is huge. It's over 320 000 km2. More importantly, though, what does the size of Norway have to do with anything?

    12. Re: Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

      Umm, that's very very very small by my country's standard. And it has EVERYTHING to do with the infrastructure required to support electric cars driving across it.

    13. Re:Still wiltly incorrect by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      That big highway in the middle of nowhere doesn't breakdown with any degree of frequency.
      And you want to put live power lines along it? To supply electricity to charging stations? You want 5'000 miles of powerlines between cities? Not being used for anything but electricity transport?

      This may surprise you, but we already do that. That's how we get power to cities that don't have their own generation capabilities.

      Think of the crazy amount of maintenance. Oh, and winds and ice and animals and no security of any kind?

      That's how things are now. And yet, nobody ever attacks the power lines, except accidentally by running into them with a car.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    14. Re: Still wiltly incorrect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm, that's very very very small by my country's standard.

      Then you live in a huge country. That is the exception, though, not the rule. Norway is larger than two thirds of all countries. It happens to be over seven times the size of the country I live in, for example.

      And it has EVERYTHING to do with the infrastructure required to support electric cars driving across it.

      How? The infrastructure does not care about borders. If Norway and Sweden would become a single country again, it would't magically become more difficult to build a charging station somewhere in Norway. Neither would it become any easier if Norway's provinces would split up to become separate countries.

    15. Re: Still wiltly incorrect by holophrastic · · Score: 1

      But my country has vast spaces of unpopulated area. All are fully accessible via portable fuel. They'd be totally inaccessible by electric car without trillions of dollars of electrical infrastructure.

      And funny thing "majority". I would argue that the few huge countries are the majority -- of the landscape. We're talking about infrastructure on a global scale. The most geography would be the majority. Not the number of pipsqueak nations, and not the number of humans. We're talking about roads. So the geography that would have/need/build the majority of the roads, would represent the majority.

      Therefore, my huge country is indeed the majority. And I do believe that my country is the largest country in this world. As such, you're talking about an unfathomable expense to solve a problem that we certainly do not have. Our population of cars is dwarfed to irrelevance next to our population of trees. We aren't polluting. But we do need a way to cross this country. Shockingly, we actually have very few roads by density -- mostly because they are just that crazy expensive for such few humans.

  57. Sigh by FWMiller · · Score: 1, Insightful

    This story is disingenuous. If they had said the cars are competetive costwise without the subsidies, the title would have been justified. The way it is, its propoganda for the liberal agenda.

    --
    Frank W. Miller
    1. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do people not get these subsidies?

      If they do, then the cost to own is cheaper.

      You can't be objective if you're on a "team".

    2. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's also disingenuous to suggest that ICE vehicles receive no subsidy.

    3. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This story is disingenuous. If they had said the cars are competetive costwise without the subsidies, the title would have been justified. The way it is, its propoganda for the liberal agenda.

      Why is conserving the planet & maximizing our comfort & health deemed part of the liberal agenda? Are you contending that conservatives want to live in squalor?

      Pollution is bad for our health. Climate change will hurt us economically (& kill more of us than without it). Gas is going away (in the medium term) anyway. EVs are being subsidized for now to get them better established. That'll go away when they don't need it anymore. Why are you against this?

      (Oh, and the oil industry is also heavily subsidized. Even excluding the Iraq wars.)

    4. Re:Sigh by FWMiller · · Score: 1

      Subsidy means someone else is paying part of the cost. The true cost of running these cars is what you pay as the owner plus what someone else pays as a subsidy through their taxes. When you add those two together, electric is still not competetive and probably won't be until someone discovers how to say increase the energy density of batteries by about 50% or more.

      --
      Frank W. Miller
    5. Re:Sigh by FWMiller · · Score: 1

      The reason is because those that are pushing these technologies (generally liberals) are pushing something that is not economically viable in the open marketplace without subsidies that mean taking from others in the form of taxes to pay for these cars to make them look competetive.

      --
      Frank W. Miller
    6. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the true cost of production in an EV (battery) is not factored in either.

    7. Re:Sigh by DirkDaring · · Score: 1

      The true cost of production of a gas engine, fuel tank, fuel filter, etc isn't factored in either.

    8. Re: Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What does the cost of cars with different propulsion systems have to do with 'the liberal agenda' (whatever that may be)?

  58. Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This simply isn't true.

    1. Re: Mod parent down! by LinuxLuver · · Score: 1

      Yes, it is. Deisel particulates are a major health hazard. This is no secret. Maybe you're assuming perfect maintenance? We all know many deisels are poorly maintained. The black clouds as they go up hills make that more than obvious.

      --
      Only boring people are ever bored.
  59. Wont Happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As a Resident of California, the idiots that wrote this piece of drivel forget the biggest fucking issue against EV usage. Overnight charging. Most residents in California do not have access to more then a fucking parking spot (Apartment) with no storage or electrical available so where are they going to fuel? The gas station around the corner from their apartment? Work?

    Simply put, cities and communities are no designed around the needs of EV's or even pedestrians so who's going to pay for the needed infrastructure? I can tell you, it wont be the fucking slum lords or the people running the Various Housing Projects as it'd cut into to much of their money.

    1. Re:Wont Happen by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      include "yet" in your thoughts

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  60. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    Wow, and what is wrong with that?
    I'm not allowed to link to my own blog article? My diploma thesis? What is next?

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  61. Secondary market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one has even brought up that Electric cars don't even really exist yet on a secondary market, and if/when they do, they are likely going to be way more expensive due to needing new battery packs, and the fact that you won't be getting subsidies for a 2nd-hand purchase. These things all badly hurt any comparisons to traditional cars.

  62. Um.. No, it wouldn't by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    because it's much, much easier to control the emissions from a central location powering a million cars than from each of those million cars. Also, not sure about your country but America mostly stopped burning coal. Natural gas is much, much cheaper and also cleaner. And that's before you factor in that you can have your power plants pretty far away from where people breath, which is nice (again, that may be an American thing, we've got lots of space to spread out).

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  63. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fuel isnâ(TM)t the only cost of running a car. Things wear out and break. Electric cars do so at a lower rate. So just looking at fuel costs isnâ(TM)t enough.

  64. When you consider by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the external cost then fossil fuel cars are even more expensive. For example just the reduction in oil demand from electric cars lowers the price of oil for everyone.

  65. Gas taxes are basically negated by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    by oil subsidies, especially if you include the 'subsidy' that is our constant military expansion to secure cheap oil. Let's face it, we're not fighting wars in the middle east out of the goodness of our hearts. It's for the oil. Take that away and you could slash our military budget. We do the same thing with tobacco. We tax the hell out of cigarettes then subsidies tobacco growers.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  66. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Monster_user · · Score: 1

    Switching to electric vehicles gives us more control over where and when polution is released. If we abstract the energy extraction process from the vehicle itself, we create resource independent vehicles. Freedom and eliminating localized polution, two things which are probably worth the cost.

    The next thing to consider is adoption. When electric vehicles are considered a basic cost, the economy will restructure itself around the "higher" cost of electric vehicles. As long as emissions standards are raised to eliminate cheaper alternatives, electric vehicles will be affordable for Americans. The economy can't function without providing workers with a mode of transportation, its a cost of doing business.

    Without emissions controls, there are several ways we can increase the energy efficiency of the vehicles we have today. As recently demonstrated by Volkswagon. We to decide what is important to us, and legislate it to protect it from those who would selfishly take it away for their own profits.

  67. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Monster_user · · Score: 1

    After five hours of driving, a half hour break isn't a big deal?

    I think you underestimate the value of a forced 30 minute break in a five hour trip.

  68. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by nukenerd · · Score: 1

    Do you always keep your gas tank at least half full in case of disaster?

    No, but I keep a 20 litre jerry can of fuel in my garage.

  69. Re: Increased electrical burden by feepness · · Score: 1

    Flexibility in time, rather than location.

    Can you think of a better way to store massive amounts of energy than in battery packs in electric cars...

    Because if you can, there are a lot of people that would like to talk to you.

  70. electricity versus petrol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Really? Having your car out of power in a natural disaster means you can't easily go somewhere else for a little while to wait for them to fix basic infrastructure. If something is significant enough to knock out power for a week, being able to use the car would be one of my largest concerns.

    I can create my own power with solar panels on my roof (and if my roof is gone, I've gone bigger problems to worry about).

    Can you create your own petrol?

    And if petrol is available, I can run a portable generator (which is also handy to power the house/appliances). Or get a generator that plugs into my natural gas connection.

  71. Paying income taxes on INCOME is not a subsidy by raymorris · · Score: 2

    They pay taxes like every other business does. No business pays federal income taxes on EXPENSES. That's the main thing the people trying to trick you call a "subsidy", which is just friggin ridiculous. Here's how it works:

    Your local bookstore starts out with $100,000 dollars.
    They buy a bunch of books for $100,000.
    They sell half the books for $75,000.
    They now have $75,000 plus half a shipment of books, worth $50,000. That's $125,000
    They started with $100,000 and ended with $125,000 so that's a profit of $25,000
    They pay corporate taxes on $25,000 profit (and stockholders pay taxes again on the same $25,000)

    Note they would be LYING if they told potential investors or a bank they wanted a loan from that they had made $75,000. The $75,000 in sales cost them $50,000 in books and failing to account for that would be fraud.

    An oil company starts with $100,000
    They buy / lease land with oil for $100,000
    The sell half the oil for $75,000
    They now have $75,000 plus half a shipment of the oil, worth $50,000. That's $125,000
    They started with $100,000 and ended with $125,000 so that's a profit of $25,000
    They pay corporate taxes on $25,000 profit (and stockholders pay taxes again on the same $25,000)

    Again it would be fraud for them to claim $75,000 - they only made $25,000. ($75,000 sales minus the $50,000 it cost them to get the oil they sold).

    That's the main thing that silly "green" propagandists / click bait sites try to tell you is a "subsidy" - the fact that LIKE ALL OTHER BUSINESSES they don't fraudulently claim their expenses as profit.

    1. Re:Paying income taxes on INCOME is not a subsidy by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      I think you posted this reply on the wrong site.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  72. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tesla model S: about 2/3 of them needed the entire drivetrain replaced by 60000 miles. (https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101153_two-thirds-of-earliest-tesla-drive-trains-to-fail-in-60000-miles-owner-data-suggests). Batteries have big issues of their own. Electric cars are nowhere near maintenance free... or even at the same level as modern ice cars.

  73. Did they take into account... by YuppieScum · · Score: 1

    ...all the over-priced food and drink you end up buying while waiting for your EV to charge?

    It's all very well to extol the virtues of an EV, as long as your single-journey length is less than the max range of your car, or that your dwell time between trips is sufficient to top it up for the next one (and there's a suitable location to charge it).

    Otherwise, your journey is punctuated by enforced breaks of indeterminate duration while you wait for the car to charge...

    --
    This sig left unintentionally blank.
  74. Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because right now I can buy a small diesel hatchback second hand for about £1000 that can do 600 miles on a tank.

  75. subsidies on electric and taxes on gas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is completely false, electric cars are much more expensive to run and I'll only get be more expensive as their numbers increase. In the gas price, at least half is taxes, in electricity price there are subsidies. When there be no gas cars to tax, and electric cars will consume a lot more power than now, who is to pay for all this?

  76. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Break, yeah. Consider that it will be no break but waiting in lane to a busy charging station. Consider doing that daily instead once a weak.

  77. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But UK is a totalitarian police state. In free America people drive a huge range of cars from f150 to fiats and even your mini coopers. It is very nice to own f150 believe me.

  78. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

    I fully agree. Such a trip would be illegal if made by a commercial driver in Europe.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  79. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's false; the biggest cost of an EV is a battery and it has a finite number of charge cycles. An ICE can and do work for 20 years easily. No battery would last this long.

  80. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Barsteward · · Score: 1

    that, according to the report, is down to manufacturing. Remember its taken 100 years or so for ICE to become almost totally reliable. Where has anyone said EVs are maintenance free, did you mean less maintenance?

    --
    "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  81. I work in automotive by Kartu · · Score: 1

    Disclaimer: I work in automotive (not by Tesla)

    Complexity of cars goes like this:

    Hybrid > Diesel > Otto (traditional gasoline) > Pure electric

    The only problematic component of a pure electric vehicle is the battery array. Everything else (compared to traditional cars) is both cheap and/or lasts forever. Hence, ignoring battery, it is hardly surprising that PE vehicles are cheaper to keep running.

    1. Re:I work in automotive by simula · · Score: 1

      unmod

    2. Re:I work in automotive by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Complexity of cars goes like this:
      Hybrid > Diesel > Otto (traditional gasoline) > Pure electric

      Diesels are inherently literally no more complex than gasoline cars, since gasoline has gone to direct injection. They have almost exactly the same parts. If they do have more parts, it's to support DEF, but there's precious little hardware there. It's equivalent to water injection, which has turned up on a couple of production sports cars. Tank, pump, injector.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  82. cognitive anorexia writ large by epine · · Score: 1

    So it's cheapest -- as long as you ignore that pile of money over in the corner that someone else is paying, and one we promise will go away Real Soon Now. Good grief.

    You do realize that the petroleum automotive complex was implicitly subsidized for almost the entirely of its existence?

    For one thing, the road system was greatly overbuilt on government money.

    For a second thing, our entire modern (inefficient) civic structure has been designed to accommodate the automobile since the last pony pile was scooped into a golden box and trunked off (in luxury) to the Smithsonian.

    Third, in round numbers, from 1930–1990 the annual motor vehicle fatality rate in America was in near or above 20 deaths per 100,000 population. And you really think all of the associated costs were paid directly (or even indirectly) by the car owner?

    It's harder to dig up cumulative historical statistics on spinal cord injuries.

    Spinal Cord Injury Facts — 2009

    The number of people in the United States who are alive in 2008 who have SCI has been estimated to be approximately 259,000 persons, with a range of 229,000 to 306,000 persons.

    Swimming pools, horses, boating accidents, motorcycles, and primary industry (forestry, mining, farming) would all be large contributors, but you can bet automotive (including the aforementioned motorcycles) takes the largest slice out of the crown.

    And of course, all those (extremely large) costs are precisely allocated, too (in some Randian fantasy world of your dreams).

    Just last night my wife and I watched a documentary (of sorts) titled Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor (2013). It features five Iraq was veterans who returned home as amputees (4), with chronic spinal pain (one odd, pregnant lady), or as a burn victim (just one guy missing 25% of his original sheath to a total depth ++ underlying tissues, who kind of still had both his hands, but elected two years later to give one up when the effort to keep it saved just wasn't worth while). I made a dark joke to my wife as we were watching this: "that last guy looks like a Wookiee with his eyebrows seared off by a trash compactor methane supernova". (If you've never looked closely at a Wookiee before, a Wookiee's "eyebrows" cover his entire face and head. Use a camera, as it's not polite to stare.)

    This film was better than expected, but you have to like visiting the real world, and make some reasonable allowances. Every spouse sat there quietly on the sofa concealing a hundred years of normal sorrows (see My Left Foot). Comedy therapy is about putting all that hidden anger to work, and it did (personal coaching from Lewis Black sure doesn't hurt). This was all certainly good for the vets. I wasn't finally so sure about the spouses (and ultimately you realize that there were propaganda guardrails firmly affixed, and that this was at least filmed in cooperation with Veterans Affairs or the suitable stay-positive-about-the-real-cost-of-freedom public agency; see The Tillman Story.)

    Soldier Speaks Up A Decade After Pat Tillman's Friendly-Fire Death

    To this day, Elliott, who has struggled with alcoholism, PTSD and divorce, all of which he traces to the friendly-fire episode, says he has never communicated directly with the Tillman family.

    So there's several layers of graduate school in precisely who pays, if you're paying attention, and doing the math.

    Finally (returning to the almost trivial), the negative externalities of mere automotive noise and mere automotive air pollution have long had serious deleterious effects on the surrounding human populations.

    Then an option comes along that's prospectively (in the fairly ne

    1. Re:cognitive anorexia writ large by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      Iraq "we did it for the oil" conspiracy aside, it seems to me you've basically just enumerated all the sunk infrastructure costs that EVs are now going to come along and free-ride on, and/or injury/fatality issues that EVs in and of themselves aren't going to change. Good job, I guess, but maybe you could take a small percentage of the above keystrokes and address what any of that has that to do with apples-to-apples comparisons of marginal costs for the vehicles that will now travel on the infrastructure that (whether you like it or not) exists and will be used by something.

  83. Just wait for the E.V. version of fuel tax by petes_PoV · · Score: 1
    A major cost in the lifetime ownership of any car is the fuel it burns. 400,000km at 5 litres per 100km comes to 20,000 litres - well over €20,000 much more than £20,000 and I haven't a clue what it is in other currencies.

    And most of that is tax. I cannot see governments anywhere being happy to lose that revenue when every vehicle on the road is electric. So it seems to me to be inevitable that sooner or later the electricity used to recharge EVs will become the subject of an additional level of taxation. Whether that is on the power itself, an annual tax on the vehicle (based on mileage) or some other levy.

    So to suggest that the cost comparison made today, under the financial conditions that presently apply, is any reason to make a decision for anything but the near future makes no sense.

    What WILL make a difference is when cars become autonomous. I can see a very fast transition from petrol driven to electric AVs. Purely because the insurance premiums on a human driver will become astronomical.

    --
    politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
  84. Oh NOES!!! by hyades1 · · Score: 1

    The untelligentsia will be all over this like a cheap suit. They'll be squealing about nobody being able to plug their cars in overnight (blissfully unaware that over just a couple of weeks a small Ontario town where I grew up put in dozens of outlets for block heaters back in the 1960's). They'll whine about the lack of power outlets on highways (blissfully unaware that even the lowly Bolt is good for 200 miles per charge). They'll scream about resale value (blissfully unaware this will change as low-range first generation EV's leave the market and battery durability stats over long periods become a matter of record). They'll rage about subsidies (blissfully unaware that gasoline cars and oil companies have benefitted from government subsidies on a scale that dwarfs anything EV manufacturers could even dream about).

    None of it will matter, in the end. EV's are coming and all the pissing and moaning from the "we hate everything new" crew won't make a bit of difference.

    It's happening already. The place I work shares a fleet of cars with other agencies. Some cars are gas and diesel, others are hybrid and electric. The latter two varieties are consistently the cheapest to operate. As far as maintenance...the electrics have been virtually maintenance free. Brake pads, coolant (ours have thermal management systems) and tire care have been the whole story. Fleet management is putting away $500 per year per EV for eventual battery replacement.

    I suspect the fleet will be at least 80% electric within five years. A few diesels will be kept around for special occasions and the gasoline and hybrid vehicles will be gone. There are two competing plans for dealing with the EV's as they age. One says replace the batteries (probably at about 10 years) and drive them 'til they die. The other is to replace the battery packs after eight years and sell them. Used EV's with brand new battery packs will probably have a great resale potential. If not...Plan A.

    So now I'm going to relax and enjoy reading the flood of comments from that sub-set of Slashdotters who will confidently predict the failure of electric vehicles...like they predicted the failure of 64-bit operating systems, solar power, Space X and just about everything else new and innovative that doesn't involve slaughtering an endangered species.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:Oh NOES!!! by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      if you have to start by labeling opponents as "unitelligensia" you've already lost.

      The reality is that electric cars need to be subsidized to be competitive, which is equivalent to saying they're not competitive at all. That's because they're yet too expensive compared to fossil fuel cars.

      Yes, there will come a time when electric vehicles can stand on their own merits...but apparently that is not yet

    2. Re:Oh NOES!!! by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      I agree that EV's are ultimately inevitable but we are a long way from them being financially viable yet if you look at big picture, not just the running costs once you've bought one. The purchasing cost premium for EV's vs a cheap gasoline car is still way too high.

    3. Re:Oh NOES!!! by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      At the moment, you're right. But the cost of gasoline is going to keep rising. And if we're going to talk about the real cost of gasoline, which includes spending billions in the Middle East rather than just walking away and grabbing a box of popcorn, the picture changes considerably.

      I don't believe it's unfair to include the externalized costs of gasoline in the equation, as long as we can document them in straight-up dollars spent. When we do that, I don't think gas really is that cheap.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    4. Re:Oh NOES!!! by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      As I mentioned elsewhere, gas is only cheap when you externalize a lot of the costs. Aside from subsidies and tax breaks, there's the cost of sending the US military in to maintain stability wherever America has oil interests. How much has the US spent over the years in Afghanistan and the Middle East? When that's tacked onto the bill, which it absolutely should be, then the competitive situation changes a lot.

      And the "untelligentsia" isn't people who disagree with me. It's that crowd of commenters who are reflexively against anything except "more of the same, but bigger" in any of the topics discussed here. I'm quite happy to have a rational discussion with anybody. What I won't do anymore is take people seriously who are a short step away from the Anti-vaxxers and conspiracy nuts.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    5. Re:Oh NOES!!! by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      > But the cost of gasoline is going to keep rising.

      Please cite references. That seems unlikely at best. Keep rising? its not even rising now.

      Besides, the price difference between the cheapest EV (chevvy spark $27,495) and the cheap small car Nissan Versa S Sedan: $12,780 even at $3/gallon is 5886 gallons of gas (assuming $2.50/gallon), which is for that car represents 206010 miles of motoring, i.e the price difference is more than the cost of gas for the entire life of the car. Futhermore the chevvy spark has a range of 85 miles. The Nissa Versa about 400. That alone would be enough to put many people off.

    6. Re:Oh NOES!!! by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      Annual US gas prices https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/h...

      Annual Canadian Gas Prices https://tradingeconomics.com/c...

      Fossil fuel subsidies, which you are ignoring: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_subsidies#Impact_of_fossil_fuel_subsidies"

      http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X16304867

      Roll those into the cost of your Spark or Versa, along with the staggering cost of keeping the US military in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and the picture is very different.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    7. Re:Oh NOES!!! by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      The U.S. military is also sent to places where there are no oil interests, Afghanistans fossil fuel production is negligible and always will be. There is huge pro-israel agenda in the money spent on middle eastern stability, oil not the only concern.

      Electric cars benefit a sliver of the population, until they become cheaper there is no point subsidizing toys and status symbols for the well-to-do crowd

    8. Re:Oh NOES!!! by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      Even your own reference of US gas prices shows a continuous downslope since 2012. from over $3.50 to about $2/gallon
      Yes I am ignoring fossil fuel subsidies just like I'm ignoring the massive EV subsidies, because what matters to the end useris how much they are actually paying out of their own pcoket.
      As for your ridiculous assertion that the US military is in the Middle East and Afghanistan entirely for gas prices, thats just laughable.

    9. Re:Oh NOES!!! by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      The U.S. military is also sent to places where there are no oil interests, Afghanistans fossil fuel production is negligible and always will be.

      Of course. It's so simple! There could never be any oil-related interests in Afghanistan!

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  85. California Taxes Gasoline Heavily by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And subsidizes electricity rates to consumers, but even then there's no way that electric cars a cheaper right now in California. If you want to see what the cheapest car to own and operate in California is, look at what the Mexicans are driving. They're still driving beat to shit minivans, Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas that are 10, 15 and even 20 years old or older in some cases. When the Mexicans picking our vegetables switch to electric cars then I will believe that they're cheaper.

  86. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course for many of us we would have to ditch perfectly functional vehicles first. The costs and externalities of that right there is no trivial matter.

    in my area, and it is snow outside,
    EV are as nice as SpaceX vehicles. The same cosmic price.
    What is available ? old diesels still running on everything.
    i live in the area where after above average snow fall or extra winter wind we do not have electricity for couple days ...
    Two 5000 liters oil tanks dug in behind the house is solving problem how to heat the house, how to plow the snow ...
    Simple, efficient , independent from utilities ...
    Last year we welcomed warmly very green , eco family from the neighborhood family when their electric, solar ... systems went down because of broken power lines ...
    This year they also have one 500 liter oil tank. Next I will convince them to buy diesel SUV ;-)

    Of course in available price range (for Eastern Europe) lets say $2-3k
    and manufacture data before 2006 Those cars are still working, not like later modern EURO 3,4,5,6 norm ugly ducks which will deteriorate from looking at them after 4-5 years.

    Are there any EV in this price range?

  87. Are you serious!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A typical 12-volt automotive battery weighs less that 50 lbs (22 kg) and consists primarily of lead plates in an acid bath wrapped in a plastic shell. Recycling one involves draining what's left of the acid, cracking open the case, and extracting the lead (the primary recyclable).

    A typical Tesla battery weighs 1200 lbs (540 kg) and consists of several (7000+) Lithium ion cells. While I don't know what goes into recycling Lithium ion batteries, it is certainly a reasonable question given the size and materials involved.

    1. Re:Are you serious!?! by Rei · · Score: 1

      Or, you know, you could just google it. There's about a dozen different ways to recycle li-ion battery packs. And if you were a recycler, would you rather one small, dense object of a low value metal per vehicle, or a large, lower density object containing higher value minerals per vehicle? It's a no brainer from a financial perspective. What, you have to use a forklift? Gee, like that's a showstopper to a scrapyard.

      --
      Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  88. Bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You can go buy a Hyundai Accent today for $14k MSRP and usually less if you bother negotiating or wait for incentives.

    They get around 40 MPG highway and 30 MPG city and have a 10 year powertrain warranty. If you put 14k miles on them a year that's 400 gallons a year or around $1k at current prices. Assume $1k a year average for regular maintenance and oil changes.

    Total cost of ownership at 10 years is $14k up front then $2k/yr for 10 years ~ $35k.

    Show me an EV with a 10-year total cost of ownership like that and we'll talk. Bonus points if it gets 400 miles a charge (like an Accent on a full tank) and charges in 5 minutes (an accent's ~10 gallon tank takes about 2 minutes to fill). OK, that's just being a jerk, but recognize that a lot of people are going to see that as a big inconvenience.

  89. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, the political right /never/ does that. They are without exception rigorous in their devotion to evidence and the scientific method, and never resort to ad hominem attacks.
    It must be true because Iâ(TM)m pretty sure I heard it on Fox News.

  90. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by beelsebob · · Score: 1

    Except that the eGolf is actually $28500, because of the federal rebate.

    Also, KBB says a 3 year old Golf with 36000 miles on it is worth $9900, but a 3 year old eGolf with 36000 miles on it is worth $14200, so your resale values are deffinately off - the eGolf will be worth more (3 years was used here because that's the oldest eGolf available).

    Here's the purchase version of it over 3 years:
    Golf - $24k
    12000 miles/year @$2.60 per gallon and 30mpg = $3120
    Service costs - $300/yr = $900
    Sold for $9900
    TCoO = $6040/year

    eGolf - $28.5k
    12000 miles/year @ 4m/kWh and $0.11/kWh = $990
    Car sold for $14.2k
    TCoO = $5096/year

  91. Please stop the brainwashing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Enough of this. Electric cars cost on average an extra $8K, for an advertised fuel savings og $400/yr. That is, the extra cost will be amortized over 20 yrs. Are they kidding, or what?

  92. I will buy one, on 4 conditions: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. I doesnâ(TM)t cost more than a âoeregularâ one to buy or service
    2. It has a range of at least 500 km
    3. It doesnâ(TM)t take more than 5 min to recharge
    4. There are as many recharge stations as gas stations in the city and on the road

  93. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The types of problems we have is where the power goes out over a wide area unexpectedly. If you're watching the weather closely, then you could prepare as in filling up gasoline cans or charging your vehicles. The last time this happened, we went by several gas stations that were closed as they didn't have generators. We found one gasoline station that was open and waited for 30 minutes in line and paid with cash. Different kinds of natural disasters lead to different kinds of results on gasoline vs electric.

  94. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wait, what is the narrative today, that the GOP plan will burden everyone by giving the government too much money or the GOP plan will not tax enough and run up a deficit?

    It's so hard to keep track of propaganda these days.

  95. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Plus in New York State electric is $0.28 per kilowatt . That makes it almost $3 per gallon before road taxes

  96. So are a set of roller skates by RightwingNutjob · · Score: 1

    Especially the cheap plastic toys you'd get for a small child to practice with. By a factor of a thousand cheaper than an automobile at least. Doesn't mean they do the same job with the same level of capability or reliability.

  97. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Rei · · Score: 1

    The drivetrain problem was a defective mount with too tight tolerances. And Tesla replaced all the drive units for free. The cost of service (which includes an 8 year unlimited mileage warranty on the powertrain) is included in the vehicle price, so it's not something that you get to add onto the end as a service cost to the owner.

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  98. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Rei · · Score: 1

    Typical degradation on Tesla packs is about 4% in the first year and under 1% in each subsequent year. There are Teslas out there with hundreds of thousands of miles on them.

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  99. Bunker fuel? by istartedi · · Score: 1

    AFAIK, the primary, if not only users of bunker fuel are container ships at sea. The fuel is one step away from asphalt in the refining process. It's so heavy that they have to bring it up to the right temperature before the diesel can use it. I don't think anybody uses it in a vehicle that runs on the roads. They're definitely not putting it in trucks in North America or Europe.

    --
    For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    1. Re:Bunker fuel? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      You have to take a slightly less literal reading of the GP's post. I don't think he actually was implying your diesel engines ran on bunker fuel, but rather implying (correctly I may add) that the USA ADF spec is a distinctly heavier sootier, harder to burn, and with 50% higher sulphur content than EU ADF spec.

  100. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Rei · · Score: 1

    The problem with gasoline vehicles is that they have a random amount of fuel in their tank at any point in time. Some will be almost full, some will be almost empty. EVs start each day with a "full tank".

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  101. Those don't change the running costs. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They change the up front costs, dumbass. And why the fuck did I pay toward YOUR failed education? Can I get a fucking refund?

  102. It's 800km to my mother's house by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let me know when your EV can do a round trip within 24 hours.

    - typical Canadian with typically Canadian driving distances not served by your EV shit

  103. Wrong yourself, dear. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The "tax" that the fossil fuel industry pay to extract is not a tax, it's the way to pay for the product that they otherwise would get for free without the government deciding what floor price of the product would be, thereby letting the free market decide what value there is on the product.
    And, yes, they get subsidies far in excess of your claims.

  104. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by doctorvo · · Score: 2

    Or instead, instead of playing amateur scientist on the net, the GP could listen to actual scientists who've studied the issue. [acs.org]

    Ah, appeal to authority! The foundation of all science!

    (That was sarcasm in case you didn't notice.)

  105. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Epsillon · · Score: 1

    Fine, let's wait until EVs have developed into a fully-arsed solution, then. Everyone seems to want us all to dump our old faithful ICE machines and jump on the electric bandwagon. Get some research done, present some reliable, independent data on running costs, lithium ion longevity and drivetrain reliability rather than the current cherry-pick the data to fit the desired result crap we're being fed and then get back to me. In the meantime, it's all starting to look like either a cynical ploy to stimulate The Economy or to restrict the general population's ability to travel at whim without being tracked and taxed.

    Oh, and can heavy industry and corporations share a bit of this pain? We road users, including the buses and trucks, are only a third of the problem. Let's see the other two thirds getting reamed a bit to make it all seem a bit fairer. Oh, wait, we can't do that because investors, by which I mean politicians with massive portfolios and hopes of comfortable consulting sinecures after their current term in office is up...

    --
    Resistance is futile. Reactance buggers it up.
  106. Math it up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (first tell me math isn't a verb.)

    The oil it takes to build an entire new instance of any given model outweighs the savings.

    Then there is the issue of "savings" in money... money is already a debt instrument in USA. It is Fiat Money existing in a Fractional Reserve Banking System only because everybody agrees to keep the charade going.

    usdebtclock.org doesn't tell the whole story. It is a lot more. The Fed Reserve stopped printing the M3 Money Supply Report in 2009 remember? "Not worth the effort" was the reason to stop it. Jew-Greenspan-Bernanke-Yellen-Jew. etc. (Trump got rid of Yellen, yes?)

    So a fractional reserve banking system means they keep a fraction of depositors "cash" in reserve at all times. When the requirement was 2% we had bank runs during the "sub-prime" (scam) mortgage crisis. Banks straight up shut the doors and didn't answer the phones. No staff. They were taking your 100%, holding onto 2% hoping everybody didn't grab their cash at the same time. The other 98% they loan out for their salaries and keeping the lights on etc. Operations and profit.

    Now it is 5% unless it has changed. They upped it by 3%.

    So welcome to Jew Fable World again. Keynesian? Yeah whatever. It's bartering units and the middle-men ALL stole your shit. You toil while fat cats smoke up cubans. All works as long as nobody bitches en masse. If you do? Fine. Hard assets are owned by the fat cats already they do understand it. They have understood it. They covered their own assets.

    Then you have lawyers and the bar association's kowtowing to the 4 inns of the crown temple of ENGLAND. There goes your Judeo-Freemasonic law.

    Meanwhile you have Jew monopolies in movies and news. Policies are released to coincide often and public "thought shaping" happens on the regular.
    eg. "they can't help it if they are gay just love them like *cough* God does". But He doesn't does He. Also you don't want to get shot so better give your guns to Feinstein. She wants those nasty old mean things off the planet because uhh you figure the shit out.

    Wake up people. It is all going Jew in USA. They gotta bounce. Faceberg and newsberg and cashberg and lawberg all can suckberg my dickberg.

    Said it. I always have, always would, and did.

    get rekt spooks btw. Pay me.

  107. rural problems by nten · · Score: 1

    Where I grew up power outages occurred twice a year or more. Winter was better, you could burn wood for heat. Summer was miserable, it could get to 90F in the house quote easily. Used a gas generator just for the fridge. They rarely lasted longer than a week. An electric vehicle would be a problem there. Range to the nearest city would be an issue too.

    --
    refactor the law, its bloated, confusing and unmaintainable.
  108. Re: Increased electrical burden by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Was that wit or stupidity? Impossible to tell these days

  109. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your point being? Let's not forget their performance in adverse weather, potential damage in heat and lower current in the cold. Losses in charging and discharging. That doesn't even begin to factor drivetrain losses. Not to mention the barrier of entry being twice that of a better performing ICE 4 banger. The technology isn't mature and when and if it does mature enough to saturate the market the demand for electricity will expand greatly meaning you're just filling the... energy vacuum with another sector.

  110. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He says as he make an appeal to authority.

    Nice.

  111. EV Lie by WindowsStar · · Score: 1

    Big corporations and government want you to think that EV are much better for the environment and that is why you should buy one. That is why there are tax breaks for them. But it is all a lie. The REAL reason EVs are promoted is because it is a hot topic in the public and wink wink good for the environment. If you think about it you are only trading one fossil fuel for another or possibly the same fuel. EV cars need to be charged where do you think that electricity comes from mostly coal and other fossil fuels. So buying and EV does nothing to help reduce the use of fossil fuels. On top of that they are the worst land vehicle build for the environment. Making batteries is bad for the environment, disposing of bad batteries is extremely bad for the environment. Some EVs go back and forth across the ocean several times to be built. The ships that move those vehicles back and forth are worse on the environment than any land vehicle. Check out "Polar Star Films - Freightened the Real Price of Shipping (2016)". -WS

  112. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sit down and calculate the probable increase in demand for electricity as the viable markets reach saturation, figure generation cost impact and need for expansion. Figure price increases based on this derived from previous rate hikes in electric demand spikes. It may be cheaper now, but as the net demand grows so will the cost. In the best case scenario once the system reaches an equilibrium the cost floor will rise to meet it in affected regions. Beyond cost there is the concern of the stopgaps necessary to prevent scarcity of power as demand (rapidly?) grows.

  113. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

    as long as the egolf still uses that glycol based crap as brake fluid you still have do that yearly service lest the brake lines fill with water which can start to boil when you need the brakes the most. citroen did it right back i the day with their green mineral oil based brake fluid

    --
    "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  114. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are the avarage case I see, no doubt... Dumbass

  115. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not one of those costs seems realistic, for either vehicle.

    $0.11/kWh? Does that include delivery, or just generation? An eGolf lease with those figures would be $5800 over 3 years - that's just ridiculous, you can't get the cheapest car for that. Somehow the eGolf doesn't even get inspected in 3 years!

    No brake service? Yearly service of $300? Even at independent mechanics, you're paying more than that just for oil changes and inspections, because 12,000 miles is more than one oil change on the Golf, and I know, I have one. Closer to $1,000/yr at stealerships for 2 oil changes/yr, but then, only stupid people get service at VW dealerships.

    Although not part of the cost differential, both cars apparently never need replacement tires, bulbs, winter tires, wipers... But TCO includes these, plus insurance and annual plating, which is hardly chump change. Heck, I have a 25-year spotless driving record, and my Golf's insurance costs more per year than your reported eGolf "TCO".

  116. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Rei · · Score: 1

    Nope. Tesla packs are climate controlled. They have no "potential damage for heat" in the summer (or the winter for that matter). As for lower current in the winter, of course (it lets the pack get cold because that does no damage; it can be set to be heated, or just heat up on its own) - but on a car that does 0-60 in 4,8 seconds (Motor Trend measurement), I think it can spare some amps (on wintery roads at that). ;) As if gasoline and diesel cars perform at their max in frigid weather. On a really cold day you're lucky if you can get a diesel to start at all (Teslas always maintain a minimum temperature). Oh, and speaking of winter weather: EVs can preheat/precool. Including in enclosed spaces or right next to buildings, where carbon monoxide buildup would be dangerous. With no idling (noise, wear). Without draining a tank that you have to go to a gas station to fill, while standing outside in said bad weather. It's such a convenience that almost everyone does it. With the side effect that it melts ice and snow off your windshield, so no scraping either.

    Losses in charging/discharging Model S and X are about 80%. Should be a bit less for Model 3, probably around 85%, but we haven't confirmed yet with a Kill-A-Watt. Model S and X are induction, so average about 85% drivetrain efficiency. Model 3 is PM, so probably 90-95% average (there's a big efficiency difference between Model 3 and Model S, beyond just Crr/m/CdA; it's one of the most notable changes). I'm not sure what your point of this is, however. A modern combined cycle natural gas plant is around 60% efficient and the grid around 94% efficient. Meanwhile, a gasoline engine at its peak is about 35% efficient, but averages around 20% efficient. And we're not even counting the energy to produce the gasoline (which continues to grow over time).

    Not to mention the barrier of entry being twice that of a better performing ICE 4 banger.

    Hahahaha ;) Sorry, but the Model 3 LR is as fast as a BWM 340i. The SR is as fast as a 330i. And this is before Tesla even breaks out the performance package; that should push it into the 3-4s 0-60 range. Meanwhile, the Model 3s are each $5k *cheaper* than their same-performing competitors, and save about $1k a year in the US / $2k a year in the EU. So over 5 years, $10k cheaper in the US, $15k cheaper in the EU, *not* counting incentives.

    demand for electricity will expand greatly meaning you're just filling the... energy vacuum with another sector.

    Almost all new energy going onto the grid in the US (and in most countries in the developed world) is a mix of wind, solar, and natural gas. Solar is the fastest growing component of these three. Coal is dying, and quickly. They're even starting to close plants that are A) large, and B) surprisingly young; it's no longer just the small, old plants that are being killed off.

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  117. Conservation vs casual consumption by spinitch · · Score: 1

    A noxious ICE very much a deterrent for people walking and biking in urban areas. Even fuel efficient ICE scooters with bad exhausts. Get the stinker ICE out of the urban areas. For those in boonies especially very cold climates, ICE might be better option which is fine, there they pose little hazard to those walking or bikIng. Trucks bringing food a larger challenge since poor people need lowest cost, though long term in urban areas better to limit noxious emissions for health costs. So both techs have pros / cons and costs differ depending on location and type of use.

  118. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by kenh · · Score: 1

    As for lower current in the winter, of course (it lets the pack get cold because that does no damage; it can be set to be heated, or just heat up on its own) - but on a car that does 0-60 in 4,8 seconds (Motor Trend measurement), I think it can spare some amps (on wintery roads at that). ;)

    Because diminished battery capacity means performance of electric car is impacted? No. It reduces the range of the vehicle, not the acceleration of the vehicle.

    --
    Ken
  119. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Right, you're saying that making other people pay your taxes is what makes EVs great. Brilliant. You should go be an American fucking politician.

  120. Not true by Radical+Moderate · · Score: 1

    Most housing units in California are "single unit, unattached", AKA "houses". Apartment dwellers are a minority.

    --
    Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
  121. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you are going to keep a car for only 3 years, lease it.

  122. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    U are totally wrong about new power in the US. Itâ(TM)s actually natural gas

  123. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Rei · · Score: 1

    Because diminished battery capacity means performance of electric car is impacted?

    Words do not take on whatever meaning you intend them to have; they have specific meanings. You said current; this is true. Now you're talking about capacity (energy). This is not true; Teslas heat when charging, and heat when in operation, so the available energy is the same.

    *Current* affects acceleration, and that's what you talked about. If that's not the word you meant, use the right one.

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  124. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sente by Rei · · Score: 1

    I meant exactly what I wrote. New generation is a mix of natural gas, solar, and wind. Of that mix, solar is the fastest growing, having gone from almost nothing at the start of the decade to the largest component (by installed capacity) in 2016 (there was a small dip in Q1 2017, but it was still huge). Now, to be fair, NG has higher capacity factors. But (ignoring the Q1 blip), it's clear what the long-term trend is. Wind is roughly holding its own, while solar is steadily eating up NG's share.

    --
    Pinkypants -- my favorite!
  125. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Gosh, itâ(TM)s almost as if no-one before you has ever thought of doing a total lifecycle analysis of EV vs ICE. Except of course, for the many people who have, and have found out â" surprise â" that EVs still come out on top. To take but one example, they are expected to last much much longer through fewer moving parts, and batteries are reusable in less intense applications (eg home storage) and then the material is recyclable.

  126. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you think that science doesnâ(TM)t operate off authority, and that everything is continually re-proven from first principles, youâ(TM)ve spent either way too much or way too little time thinking about the philosophy of science.

  127. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by shilly · · Score: 1

    You are way too pessimistic. We sometimes go and stay with friends who live in Oving, in Hampshire. Small village in the middle of nowhere. It has a church hall with two chargers (and free to use at that!). Charge-points are going to be much *more* ubiquitous than petrol stations over time, not less. The infrastructure required is an outdoor 240V plugpoint. Thatâ(TM)s it. Sure, it can be a 3kW, 7kW, 22kW, 43kW charger, but it doesnâ(TM)t have to be. The technology can be run out of existing electricity infrastructure, such as street lighting. Ubitricity is doing exactly that.

  128. Triumph of the EV? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Have we fixed the problem with batteries in non-temperate climates, or are we still working in the "all-the-world-is-like-central-and-southern-california" model?

    I ask because ICE seems to beat EV hands-down when it's really cold outside; keeping the batteries and cabin warm sucks power; not keeping the batteries warm is even worse for range; and not keeping the cabin warm is a terrible user experience. Different EV vehicles have wildly varying response to weather extremes, with, if what I've read is correct, the Tesla coming out at the head of the pack with numbers close to 50% reduction in range.

    And almost nobody bothers to talk about this; it's just "one of those things" you learn about, I guess, once you drop the cash on an EV car. I really suspect that we have a lot of "all the world is like where I live" thinking going on.

    I'll believe that EV has generally beaten ICE when snowmobile rental businesses can rent EV snowmobiles that are good for 4-6 hours between 30-minute recharges/battery swaps. Zipping around in well-below-freezing weather on a nice quiet snowmobile is something I'm looking forward to, both for the experience itself and as a proof that EV has moved out of he hype of the advocates.

    But if batteries don't get better, then there's whole swaths of the planet that will continue to treat EVs as curiosities, and ICE will rule supreme for several months out of the year.

    1. Re:Triumph of the EV? by Wheely · · Score: 1

      Nowhere close to 50%.

      I drove a return trip of 750km (about 500miles) yesterday with the temperature averaging about -6C which isnÂt that cold but cold enough. I stopped to charge and have coffee once on the way there and once for charge and pizza on the way back. Both times the charging was done before I was. This is the same as when I did the trip in the summer.

      I donÂt know what the actual range reduction is but even 20% seems high.

      I do think though that long distance EV driving is really only practical in a Tesla. Not because of range but because of the super charger network.

  129. Not sure I buy the TCO numbers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm not so sure I buy the TCO argument. When I look at EVs and hybrids, they're extremely overpriced in the fit-and-finish department. And aside from a few models (mostly adaptations of existing models), extremely out of class in the aesthetic department as well.

    People don't pay $50,000 for, say, an Audi, because they're worried about gas milage. So when you stack that $50,000-$65,000 Audi up against the $65,000-$80,000 Tesla, the fuel savings aren't there.

    And if you'll take a lesser fit-and-finish or general aesthetic to save gas money, be sure to compare that EV to a $15K Yaris.

    I figure someone will consider an EV because a) they're very bad at math, or b) they've got cash to burn and they're investing the the future of technology, or c) they're a pretentious snob, or d) they've got cash to burn and they're wanting to take advantage of that insane torque curve.

    1. Re:Not sure I buy the TCO numbers by Wheely · · Score: 1

      I'm not so sure I buy the TCO argument. When I look at EVs and hybrids, they're extremely overpriced in the fit-and-finish department. And aside from a few models (mostly adaptations of existing models), extremely out of class in the aesthetic department as well.

      People don't pay $50,000 for, say, an Audi, because they're worried about gas milage. So when you stack that $50,000-$65,000 Audi up against the $65,000-$80,000 Tesla, the fuel savings aren't there.

      And if you'll take a lesser fit-and-finish or general aesthetic to save gas money, be sure to compare that EV to a $15K Yaris.

      I figure someone will consider an EV because a) they're very bad at math, or b) they've got cash to burn and they're investing the the future of technology, or c) they're a pretentious snob, or d) they've got cash to burn and they're wanting to take advantage of that insane torque curve.

      Most people who have an EV say they would never go back to an ICE car at least partly because actually driving an EV is so much nicer.

      Instant torque, near silent motors and regenerative breaking make for a very relaxing drive.

  130. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by rally2xs · · Score: 1

    So you want to build cars ONLY for the average person?

  131. Pure electric cars have much lower fuel costs by zifn4b · · Score: 1

    Pure electric cars have much lower fuel costs

    Until everyone owns an electric car and the cost of the power being drawn from the grid goes up because we have to build more means to produce electricity and depending on the situation, that could cause more pollution. Supply and demand folks.

    --
    We'll make great pets
    1. Re:Pure electric cars have much lower fuel costs by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Until everyone owns an electric car and the cost of the power being drawn from the grid goes up because we have to build more means to produce electricity and depending on the situation, that could cause more pollution. Supply and demand folks.

      Or you can burn the oil in a power plant instead of making gasoline, reducing emissions and moving the pollution out of cities, and improving system efficiency.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  132. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you're in a densely populated area, where the roads can hardly cope with ordinary rush-hour traffic, then they are unlikely to be usable during a disaster. In fact, if all the cars stopped working, that might help with organised relief efforts because then at least emergency vehicles would be able to get through.

  133. Ten years. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow, there are a lot of types on here making the argument that the automobile will never replace the horse. Ten years. That is all.

    (For the pedants, I'm not saying in ten years there will be no ICE vehicles. I'm saying in ten years the majority of new vehicle sales will be electric. Twenty years and ICE will be niche, like horses. May vary by country etc.).

  134. get msmashes cock out of your mouth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    get msmashes cock out of your mouth
    its filling you thinking cavity where your brain used to be.
    stoopid fucker, take responsibility for ur foolishness

  135. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Say E

  136. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by sound+vision · · Score: 1

    Well, first you'd need a healthcare system to put the funds into. Like... An honest-to-god healthcare system, accountable to the nation it serves, not shareholders and medical billing beaurocracy (what are called "special interests" in the public sector).

  137. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by tomhagan · · Score: 1

    And if all âoeexternalitiesâ were reflected in gosoline prices at the pump, the price would be over $10 per gallon. Similarly for diesel fuel, I assume. What would the comparison be then, without government subsidies ?

    --
    T Hagan
  138. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    I keep my fuel tank full, because my fuel pump is old and if it dies I'm up shit creek :D

    Sooner or later, I will get around to replacing it, but there have been numerous reports of counterfeit OEM (Bosch) fuel pumps. I'm considering trying something else, where I'm not paying for a name... but that can go badly awry as well.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  139. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ford isn't an exception. They're among the worst. They also have some of the dirtiest petrol engines.

  140. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This. Also, mopeds and scooters produce amounts of particulates and volatile organic compounds that dwarf what comes out of the back of cars.

  141. The study is correct. by LinuxLuver · · Score: 1

    I own an electric car. It costs me about $2 / day for 50 miles / 80kms of driving. It's mechanical simplicity requires almost do servicing beyond tires and brakes.... and not much brake wear because regen shows the car down most of the time, creating power as you drive. It's no contest. There are only people who know it because they already live it and people who don't know it yet.

    --
    Only boring people are ever bored.
  142. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They're pretty much the authorities in this regard.

    Yet nobody had ever heard of them before you started citing their findings about Tesla products.

  143. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you think that science doesnâ(TM)t operate off authority, and that everything is continually re-proven from first principles, youâ(TM)ve spent either way too much or way too little time thinking about the philosophy of science.

    Scientists frequently "operate off authority", and you are correct that they frequently have to in order to work in the real world. But when they do, their beliefs and actions are, by definition, not rooted in science but in authority, and they take the risk of making mistakes that they wouldn't make if they operated off actual science.

    I suggest you spend a little more time thinking about the philosophy of science.

  144. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You know what? It crushes a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce even harder in a price comparison! Why not take one of those next time? You'll probably be able to find some metric by which a top of the line Bentley is comparable to a Tesla Model 3. Perhaps the number of wheels, or the size of the glove compartment, or the diameter of the steering wheel.

  145. Here, have another reply by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    rather than impose even tougher emissions which several automakers are showing they are incapable of meeting.

    Horse shit. They are all totally capable of meeting the emissions targets. Even here in California, the regulators are finding that the automakers are actually capable of doing it ahead of schedule. The automakers who have cheated on emissions tests have chosen to do so, because if they meet the tests, their vehicles will be boring to drive. That especially goes for the diesel Golf. Mazda looked at bringing a diesel 3 to market sooner, but declined because they couldn't get the emissions and the performance into the same package at the time. They wondered how VW did it. Well, they didn't. But it wasn't because they couldn't meet emissions targets, that's a lot of hot cockery.

    And this is why I watch Autoline. I got the words directly from the regulators and the engineers. (I won't click ads, but I will give plugs...)

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re:Here, have another reply by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Horse shit. They are all totally capable of meeting the emissions targets. Even here in California, the regulators are finding that the automakers are actually capable of doing it ahead of schedule. The automakers who have cheated on emissions tests have chosen to do so, because if they meet the tests, their vehicles will be boring to drive.

      Not really. Millions of diesels from several brands have now been updated and very few drivers notice any difference after the updates. Meeting the tests doesn't need to make the car any more boring to drive. It just makes it more expensive to build and/or maintain and harder to get the theoretical CO2 rating low (which is very important for tax in many countries).

      That especially goes for the diesel Golf. Mazda looked at bringing a diesel 3 to market sooner, but declined because they couldn't get the emissions and the performance into the same package at the time.

      To be fair, Mazda's resources are much smaller compared to VW's. VW's annual R&D spending is more than half of Mazda's total annual sales.

      They wondered how VW did it. Well, they didn't. But it wasn't because they couldn't meet emissions targets, that's a lot of hot cockery.

      Yet Mazda's real-world diesel emissions are much worse than VW's and their performance isn't better.

  146. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Gonoff · · Score: 1

    But UK is a totalitarian police state.

    Let's not be offensive now! Police states are where civilians call the police "sir" because they carry guns and are keen to shoot you if you have the wrong ancestry.

    In "free" America people drive a huge range of cars from f150 to fiats and even your mini coopers. It is very nice to own f150 believe me.

    The reason trucks like that are uncommon here is not just tax, or even narrower roads. Good taste comes into it too.

    --
    I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
  147. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by DirkDaring · · Score: 1

    That was a fantastic read, thanks.

  148. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In free America

    There's no such thing.

    It is very nice to own f150 believe me.

    What's so nice about owning an ugly and impractical vehicle that makes you look like a mentally challenged hillbilly when you drive it?

  149. NIB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unfortunately, this will NEVER be true in Brazil, the country of the "brazil profit", a math coefficient applied over EVERYTHING making things impossible or harder to buy, own or have.

    Phucking country.

  150. The future by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    One of the things that this story got me thinking about is the eventual end result.

    So lets say we fast forward to the future, electric cars have replaced those that run on fossil fuels. Great.

    However, as we all know, much of the cost we pay in fossil fuels is government tax, which they use to fund an awful lot of things.

    How much tax is recovered by government, and how is that revenue going to be replaced once all the gas guzzlers are gone?

  151. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    I suspect neither you nor I are scientists in that field, and actual scientists are in fact authorities on what they're working on. Given general agreement among the scientists, the evidence in favor of that agreement is almost always strong. Scientists make good proxies for evidence, when you're not in the field.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  152. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by doctorvo · · Score: 1

    Scientists make good proxies for evidence, when you're not in the field.

    How do you know whether someone is a scientist? How do you know whether they are "in the field"?

    I suspect neither you nor I are scientists in that field

    Climate change? It's interdisciplinary. What does "in that field" actually mean, and how do you think it correlates with authoritativeness?

  153. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third senten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you are driving more than 300 miles every day, then you are likely a member of a small class of people for whom an electric vehicle would be inappropriate. Congratulations. You are a very special snowflake.

  154. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    You can always look up somebody's publication record, or, failing that, look at the job title, if you want to know if they're a scientist in the field.

    Climate science is interdisciplinary. So's a lot of other scientific fields, such as astronomy. That doesn't mean you should go to a particle physicist to get starts explained.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  155. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by doctorvo · · Score: 1

    You can always look up somebody's publication record, or, failing that, look at the job title, if you want to know if they're a scientist in the field.

    Neither of those tells you whether they are competent or credible.

    Climate science is interdisciplinary. So's a lot of other scientific fields, such as astronomy. That doesn't mean you should go to a particle physicist to get starts explained.

    I suspect the average astronomer and the average particle physicist are both more competent at climate science than the average climate scientist; climate science is full of dunces and scientific wannabes.

  156. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    I suspect the average astronomer and the average particle physicist are both more competent at climate science than the average climate scientist

    What this claim smells of

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  157. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by doctorvo · · Score: 1

    What this claim smells of [rationalwiki.org]

    Ah, RationalWiki, the place where wannabe scientists and armchair philosophers gather. You fit right in.

  158. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Odds are that individual scientists with decent publication records are competent and credible. Science isn't a field you get into for the money. Obviously, there will be exceptions, which is why it's useful to compare what numerous scientists say. If they disagree on something, that's normal. If they agree on something, it's because there has been sufficiently strong evidence to convince everybody.

    I suspect that you have a lot less ability to predict competence in scientific fields than you think you do, and that the average cat or dog are more competent at finding bogus scientific fields than you are.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  159. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by doctorvo · · Score: 1

    Odds are that individual scientists with decent publication records are competent and credible

    You just go on believing that.

    Science isn't a field you get into for the money

    Neither is cleaning toilets. What's your point?

    If they agree on something, it's because there has been sufficiently strong evidence to convince everybody.

    Like, for example, eugenics and scientific racism.

    I suspect that you have a lot less ability to predict competence in scientific fields than you think you do,

    Well, be that as it may, the good thing is: I don't have to predict competence in scientific fields because I don't rely on competence in scientific fields for decision making.

    and that the average cat or dog are more competent at finding bogus scientific fields than you are

    Now you're veering into dumb insults. Keep going, you're showing just what kind of person you are.

  160. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Ah, yes, more ignorance and missing the point. If you're not going to bother judging competence of scientists and scientific fields, that's fine. If you are then going to malign scientist and fields of science, that's not fine.

    I'd not expect my cat to identify any fields of science as bogus. I'd expect you to identify considerably more than are bogus. Overall, I suspect the cat would be right more often, although likely to make different errors.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  161. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by doctorvo · · Score: 1

    If you are then going to malign scientist and fields of science, that's not fine.

    I judge, and when necessary malign, scientists and scientific fields based on the content of their scientific theories when subjected to fact checking and rational analysis. I do not judge scientists and scientific fields based on notoriety or fancy job titles, which is what you are advocating.

    You may think that if Brigham, Laughlin, Keynes, and Carrel of Princeton, Cambridge, and/or Nobel Prize fame advocate eugenics, you ought to shine your jackboots and march in lockstep behind them politically. But that represents your delusions and ignorance. I choose to think for myself.

  162. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Your judgment is clearly on completely inadequate information, and is obviously influenced by your politics.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  163. Re: Corrects its own headline in the third sentenc by doctorvo · · Score: 1

    Your judgment is clearly on completely inadequate information and is obviously influenced by your politics.

    You better believe it!