[News Bot]

Nissan LEAF owner in Texas estimates it will take about 8 years to recoup additional cost of electric car, but he also likes the freedom it offers.

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[Jason Lattimer]

Who the hell cares. Why is it so hard to believe that someone bought a Volt or a Leaf because they are really nice cars and someone really wanted one? Do they have to have a payback time? What is the payback time on a 40 thousand dollar Impalla or a 40 thousand dollar Camaro?

[dragonsgate]

Boy! Someone woke up on the wrong side of the garage. If electric car companies want to sell cars gasoline payback is one of the things they will tout. After all gas prices and oil dependence is what all the hoopla is about with mainstream America. Even on this forum a lot of the reasons for converting to electric are motivated by the desire to avoid higher gas prices and to some degree to help wean the nation from oil dependence. Then there are others like myself that like to be different or try new things for the sake of doing them. I have gone through the hassle of getting gas through the crunches in the 70’s and 80’s and have seen gas climb from twenty cents a gallon to today’s prices but my main reason for building an electric car was it was unique. I did my build in 1999 and never really worried about how much I was saving. Finally after reading several articles like the one above I did a simple cost analysis about a month ago. For what it is worth here it is. I make trip to the post office just about everyday. Using city mileage of twenty miles to the gallon at $3.50 per gallon vs. my EV after prorating the batteries for three and a half years plus electricity for charging it costs about $1400 less per year to make that round trip in the electric every day.

[Jason Lattimer]

Yea, I guess I may have overreacted, but if the savings are promoted they should be separated from the payback time argument. The whole line of reasoning makes the EV sound like a penalty box. Its as if you need a justification for buying one because its not a good purchase otherwise.

[dragonsgate]

Your ok Jason. I am just a tease. I see no reason to disagree with anything you say on either reply. Going back to the first automobiles there was supposedly a lot of flack about those confounded contraptions. There is going to be a lot of flap about these confounded contraptions. Given time the electric will prove it’s self and the unwashed masses will find something else misunderstand while jumping in the old EV to go where ever unwashed masses go.

[jeremyjs]

One thing I see often left out of the equation for going electric is the political and economic incentives. We're dependant on no one for electricity. It's profits don't prop up dictators or keep us entangles in politics in the middle east causing wars, unrest and resentment towards us.

9/11 didn't happen because we don't worship the same god or they hate our freedom. It happened because we butt into everyone else's business and do some pretty unsavory things to ensure the oil keeps flowing.

It doesn't send half a trillion out of the country and balloon trade deficits into the stratosphere every year. Even if you completely ignore the potential environmental benefits this makes for a very convincing argument.

[onegreenev]

Guys, Guys. I own a Leaf and have nearly 13,000 miles already racked up. Here is the skinny. There really is no payback but if you really want to crunch some numbers I did this for my situation.

Kia Sportage. $28,000
MPG: 20
Cost per Gallon: $3.50
Miles Driven: 150,000 miles
Gallons Used: 7,500
Cost: $26,250 and that is calculating conservative.
Not including other costs: $54,250

Leaf: $36,000 without rebates
Cost per charge: $2.40
Miles driven per charge: 65
Miles Driven: 150,000 miles
Charges: 2,307
Cost: $5,538 in electricity.
Not including other costs: $41,538

$12,712 savings without taking a rebate. So the Leaf is over all a much better deal.

Any car that gets 20 mpg will calculate out like this. Many cars get 20 mpg or worse. Some use premium fuel too.

With Solar Power your even better off because your cost is stable while you pay for your solar array and once paid it will continue to provide. We currently have a 7.2 kW system and another 6KW system to be mounted. Waiting to re-roof our house before we mount the other panels.

So payback is relative. Some may get even better results some not as good but in the end the results are that the Leaf is the better deal. I drive it daily and it has performed without a hitch. I'd expect that from any new vehicle. Time will tell but so far there is no change in capacity or performance. It is a great car but it could use an add on battery heating system. I hope they come out with one. Other than the winter distance loss the car is excellent. It still provides me with the required distances needed on a daily commute basis. I drive the freeway daily to and from work. If I need to go further I just resort to the gasser. Ug.

Pete

[Randen]

We are actively looking for a new car. I have crunched the numbers back and forth and it seems that an electric car is the only one that actually pays for itself as you are driving by the pumps. The other un-known is 5-7 years from now what will the price of gasoline be?? That electric car may pay for itself in less time as the price of fuel inflates. To-date here in Canada no Nissan Leaf,s. I understand they are on Canadian soil in a compound waiting for the dealerships to get their stratigies in order. We are considering the Toyota Prius. The fuel economy is actually paying the increased value from a Corolla into the Prius. At todays cost of fuel thats about 5 yrs. Aprox $8000.00 in fuel savings here in Ontario for our mileage driven. I never thought there would be a day were I would consider the cost of fuel into the purchase of a vehicle. My past automotive love affairs included things like Corvettes, Firebirds and other performance cars. Now we have a Chev S-10 EV that I'm trying to get back on the road and the performance cars sit in the garage mostly.

I'm really interested to see what my wife's commute will cost with the newer technology.

Randen

[onegreenev]

Truly there is NO payback with any car. You buy what you want.

[nucleus]

Originally Posted by onegreenev

Guys, Guys. I own a Leaf and have nearly 13,000 miles already racked up. Here is the skinny. There really is no payback but if you really want to crunch some numbers I did this for my situation.

Kia Sportage. $28,000
MPG: 20
Cost per Gallon: $3.50
Miles Driven: 150,000 miles
Gallons Used: 7,500
Cost: $26,250 and that is calculating conservative.
Not including other costs: $54,250

Leaf: $36,000 without rebates
Cost per charge: $2.40
Miles driven per charge: 65
Miles Driven: 150,000 miles
Charges: 2,307
Cost: $5,538 in electricity.
Not including other costs: $41,538

$12,712 savings without taking a rebate. So the Leaf is over all a much better deal.

Any car that gets 20 mpg will calculate out like this. Many cars get 20 mpg or worse.

Pete you crack me up, you compare an SUV to an economy car. You were being sarcastic, right?

You have it right when you say that there really is no payback.

Which if you crunch the numbers comparing a new Leaf versus a Versa (!).

Very similar cars in terms of size and looks.

Nissan Versa 13,800
MPG 28
Cost per Gallon: $3.50
Miles Driven: 150,000 miles
Gallons Used: 5357
Cost: $18,750
Total, not including other costs: $32,550

Leaf: $36,000 without rebates
Cost per charge: $2.40
Miles driven per charge: 65
Miles Driven: 150,000 miles
Charges: 2,307
Cost: $5,538 in electricity.
Total, not including other costs: $41,538

The actual savings are more than nine thousand though because a much bigger portion of the Versa's cost is spread out over the ten years (the fuel cost). So if you invest the 15-22 thousand you save up front, then you can let that money grow over the ten years, reducing cost of choosing the Versa even more. Time value of money, opportunity costs, and all that.