Brian Schatz

[kalakoa]

you can buy a few solar panels to charge your car

Then you "just" have to leave your car parked at home while the sun is out...

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

"just" have to leave your car parked at home while the sun is out...

Yes, and use a charging station in Hilo on occasion. My neighbor has been driving his Nissan Leaf around the island for several years, mostly charging at home while the sun shines, and it seems to work just fine for him.

On the other hand, I see guys wandering the side of the highway on a fairly regular basis, red plastic can in hand, trying to hitchhike to a gas station because they ran out of fuel. So I guess for them, just making it to a Shell or a Chevron station didn't work out either. Does that mean there's a flaw in the petroleum distribution system? I don't think I've ever seen an electric car without power, incapacitated on the side of the road.

As the car manufacturer's like to say in the fine print, Your Mileage May Vary.

If you want to combine the dual pleasures of insanity and social acceptance, religion is your only choice. - Last Aphorisms

[kalakoa]

use a charging station in Hilo on occasion

Back to oil-fired grid power...

hitchhike to a gas station because they ran out of fuel

More likely they ran out of money -- not a problem for those who can afford an electric car.

Bigger issue: electric pickup trucks have yet to arrive on the market, and "some people" need that ground clearance to deal with their unpaved roads.

Then there's "where do I get it serviced", no Tesla dealer on-island. I guess Sully is shipping his to Oahu as necessary.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

oil-fired... ran out of money... clearance... serviced...

Just because something doesn't work for one individual, doesn't mean it
won't work successfully, very successfully for somebody else. They have old sayings for that:

To each his own.
or...
These new newfangled jalopies will never replace a horse! You don't need smooth roads, horses can go everywhere! And eat grass whenever they're hungry, anytime, any place! Horses make more horses! For free!

If you want to combine the dual pleasures of insanity and social acceptance, religion is your only choice. - Last Aphorisms

[kalakoa]

To each his own.

I wonder when County will get that memo?

[Guest]

What are we up to now in KWH?

Reality: While you'll spend more on electricity, the savings on gas will more than cover it. If you drive a pure battery electric vehicle 15,000 miles a year at current electricity rates (assuming $.12 per kilowatt hour though rates vary throughout the country), you'll pay about $500 per year for the electricity to charge your battery, but you'll save about $1900 in gas (assuming $3.54 per gallon, a 28 miles per gallon vehicle, and 15,000 miles driven). So $1900 minus $500 equals $1400 in savings - a 74% reduction in fueling costs. Some utilities are offering EV owners lower off-peak/nighttime rates. The more we successfully advocate for these off-peak incentives, the lower your electricity payments will go.

some more:

https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2013.../20633103/

"It's only more initially, then less in the long run over the life of the vehicle."
2018 Ford Focus 17,950 Electric 29,120
Battery replacement in 2014 was 13,500.

"To each his own" bawhahahah > where was that mentality a few days ago in a different thread ?

[kalakoa]

$.12 per kilowatt hour ... $500 per year for the electricity ... save about $1900 in gas

At the "official" $0.42/KWh, $1900 - $1750 = $150/year savings.

Tax surcharge to pave my "private" road: $1000-2000/year.

Tesla pickup truck (assuming it reaches the market) has an estimated MSRP of $90K.

New Tacoma is $35K.

Why, it's almost as if ... island life is a totally different use case.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Tesla pickup truck ... MSRP of $90K.
New Tacoma is $35K.

It's the bleeding edge.
Everything new to the market costs more initially.
A 27" Flat screen TV was $2000 not that many years ago. Now a 50" is $500.

But consider this. If we revisit this gas vs. electric discussion in 10 years, given the economy of scale when electric vehicles are in the vast majority, the Tesla will probably cost 1/2 of what a new combustion engine powered vehicle sells for. If anyone sells them on the island. A few years after that, gasoline will be designated a "hazardous material" and will require a special license for purchase.

If you want to combine the dual pleasures of insanity and social acceptance, religion is your only choice. - Last Aphorisms

[Kapoho Joe]

I didn't buy an electric car to be 'green', I bought one to fulfill my inner Jetsons fantasies!

[kalakoa]

If we revisit this gas vs. electric discussion in 10 years

It's only necessary to revisit the discussion somewhere with "reasonable" grid power cost.