- #36
Gambler
- 4
- 0
Regarding operating cost between electricity and gasoline, what about a different approach ... looking at the cost of energy needed to propel the vehicle.
At 132 megajoules of energy per gallon of gasoline at $4.00/gallon, the cost would be $0.03/megajoules.
At $0.09/kWh of residential electricity (average in USA, not off-peak) and 3.6 megajoules per kWh, the cost would be $0.025/megajoules.
If this is correct, the difference is not so great.
For a real example, if your trip to work is 35 miles per day in a gasoline vehicle that gets 35 mpg, your daily consumption of gas would be 1 gallon and the energy in that one gallon used is 132 megajoules and at $4.00/gallon, that would be a cost of $0.114/mile.
With a plugin electric car of identical physical features (aerodynamics, weight, etc to make the comparison accurate) and also getting 35 mpg, the same trip would consume the same energy - 132 megajoules. With 3.6 megajoules per kWh, the energy would be 36.67kWh and at $0.09/kWh, the total trip cost would be $3.30 or $0.094/mile.
If this exercise is done correctly, the savings of using residential electricity are not as much afterall.
Is this exercise flawed?
At 132 megajoules of energy per gallon of gasoline at $4.00/gallon, the cost would be $0.03/megajoules.
At $0.09/kWh of residential electricity (average in USA, not off-peak) and 3.6 megajoules per kWh, the cost would be $0.025/megajoules.
If this is correct, the difference is not so great.
For a real example, if your trip to work is 35 miles per day in a gasoline vehicle that gets 35 mpg, your daily consumption of gas would be 1 gallon and the energy in that one gallon used is 132 megajoules and at $4.00/gallon, that would be a cost of $0.114/mile.
With a plugin electric car of identical physical features (aerodynamics, weight, etc to make the comparison accurate) and also getting 35 mpg, the same trip would consume the same energy - 132 megajoules. With 3.6 megajoules per kWh, the energy would be 36.67kWh and at $0.09/kWh, the total trip cost would be $3.30 or $0.094/mile.
If this exercise is done correctly, the savings of using residential electricity are not as much afterall.
Is this exercise flawed?