Real Electric Vehicle Costs
Posted by Max Dunn Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:42:00 GMT
Interested in what it really costs to operate an electric vehicle? Here is what one RAV4-EV owner estimated his costs to be, including replacing the battery pack:
First 115,000 miles:
- $30,000: Original price minus $20,000 rebate
- $5,000: Charger, solar panels, some grid power
- $4,000: Tires, brake pads, minor dent removals, AAA, rear glass, seat covers, registration
- $6,000: Insurance
- $45,000: Total, or $0.39 per mile
Next 120,000 miles:
- $15,000 battery pack replacement
- $3,000 electricity
- $5,500 tires, registration and others
- $4,000 insurance
- $27,500 total, or $0.23 per mile
The takeaway from this is not just that the total per mile cost of an electric vehicle will be lower than a regular car, but also that replacing the battery pack can be done economically.
Source: RAV4-EV Archives (registration required)