Eschew Obfuscation: Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile

Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile

Max Dunn — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:44:00 -0800

When companies talk about electric vehicles costing pennies per mile in electricity costs to operate, they are being truthful. However, with current battery costs and lifetimes, the battery replacement cost in an electric vehicle will be more than the electricity cost. Let’s look more closely at this.

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Max Dunn

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 07:30:42 -0700

Thanks for your comment Rich that most people will not have extra money to pay for the battery in an electric vehicle (EV), which is likely to cost around $12,000.

But the average driver pays over $150 per month for gas, and the all-electric Nissan Leaf can be leased for $350 per month and takes about $30 in electricity. So this means that you can drive the electric Leaf at an equivalent of $230 per month. Now that is a payment that the average Joe can afford!

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Rich

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 02:00:13 -0700

I’m thinking, who has that much money to put out when you have to replace them. And if you do not have the money, there will be a lot of electric cars for sale, at a low price, it seems to me these cars are for people with money. Most people will have to make a loan to keep the car. And are you figuring the cost of the loan! I have doubt about these cars. I don’t have 8,000 dollars, for batterys. Who are these cars made for. They sound good for fleet opperation,But not for average joe.

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Max Dunn

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:36:13 -0700

Here is a great post that reports that the costs of the Chevy Volt battery pack will be $8,000 ($500 per kWh) and calculates that it will pay for itself over a Prius at a gas price of $3.35 per gallon.

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Mike Saad

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:31:20 -0800

You state that the original cost of $4700 for the RAV4-EV battery array “is a lot lower than we can get today” and go on to cite costs of between $14 and $15,000 today. What you fail to account for is the decrease in battery cost that would surely have occured if Toyota had been allowed to continue and increase production of these EV’s (as well as other companies). Although new technology is always expensive as it emerges on the market, prices quickly fall as the product penetrates the market.

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Max Dunn

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:15:46 -0700

Toyota is contracting with BatteryMD to provide replacement batteries for the RAV4-EV. The cost is supposedly $15,000.

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Max Dunn

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:49:09 -0700

There is now a company that is providing replacement batteries for the RAV4-EV and charges $14,000, so this close to the $12,000 cost I estimated above.

Lion Electric Vehicle Lithium Upgrade

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Max Dunn

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:11:10 -0700

Another indication that the latest batteries should last 10 years and 150,000 miles comes from a report in the April 2008 edition of Forbes. This article reported that GM engineers are testing lithium-ion batteries to prove that they can meet this standard for the Chevrolet Volt.

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Max Dunn

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:28:11 -0800

Here is another data point on RAV4-EV batteries. Marcos Peixoto reported on the RAV4-EV mailing list that:

There are only 4 units of our EV95 traction batteries in stock, nationwide. 1 in Chicago and 3 at a distribution center. The Toyota P/N is G9280-42012. The list price is around $4,700 for each.

This $4,700 price is probably what Toyota was charging back when they were making the RAV4-EV and reflected their cost back then, even though this is a lot lower than we can get today.

"Electric Vehicle Battery Costs Per Mile" by Ajit

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:06:53 -0800

Well, this is just sad news. I have been under the impression that we’d get to save the world more now at the eve of electric cars.