It really depends where you live.
A (2010) map shows how kWh pricing ranges from 6 cents to over 24 cents.
Posted on 11/30/2012 8:28:31 AM PST by SeekAndFind
General Motors' Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid car topped Consumer Reports' annual owner-satisfaction survey for the second straight year.
Ninety-two percent of Volt owners surveyed by the influential consumer magazine said they would definitely buy the Volt again, earning the electric car the top ranking. Last year, 93 percent of respondents said they would buy the car again.
"The Volt's two-year reign at the top of our satisfaction survey points to the continuing trend of owners' enthusiasm for cars that are fuel-efficient, especially as we see more and more hybrid and electric models hitting the market," Consumer Reports' auto editor, Rik Paul, said in a statement.
The Volt, introduced in late 2010, has struggled with early soft sales, criticism from opponents of federal green-car tax credits, and a 2011 government probe of Volt battery fires that found no major problems.
Nevertheless, the Volt, which sells for just under $40,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit, has a devoted following among those who brag about avoiding gas stations. The car can travel about 40 miles on an electric charge before the gasoline-powered engine kicks in for additional driving range.
In addition to the Volt, other fuel-efficient models that scored well in the Consumer Reports survey included the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Prius and Prius C, and the Nissan Leaf all-electric car.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
I stopped trusting Consumer Reports after I purchased their number one vacuum cleaner and it was one of the worst vacuum cleaners that I ever had.
Since modern etiquette has not apparently addressed this question, I guess I'll just have to decline any visits from E-car driving morons.
A 2011 government probe of Volt *battery fires* that found no major problems and gives a $7,500 federal tax credit.
Logic isn’ in use.
The only new car I bought based on Consumer Reports was the WORST car I ever owned...(Volkswagen Dasher...).
The Scientology cultists buy up copies by the crate and freep all of the polls, when in reality it's a mediocre piece of pulp not too well though of outside the cult.
I saw some numbers yesterday regarding TGW surveys (Things Gone Wrong) for all of the auto manufacturers. This was a slide presentation, so I can not source them for my FRiends.
The general summary was that the “New GM” TGW’s had improved by a huge swing over the last couple of years. The first thought that popped into my head was, “well, sure, their customers love the auto bailout, so they would naturally answer more favorably to purposefully skew these results.”
Yes, they listed GM as “New GM.”
Most Americans LOVE not owning one. LOL!
“Saw this ad on TV where the guy proclaims he’s never spent a penny on gas ...
... but he never says a feckin’ word on what his electric bill is.”
Before large “industry” presentation yesterday, that I described in my earlier post, they were playing some internal commercials. In one of those they had a “geeky doctor” discussing battery power and in that ad they claimed that 33.7 KwH produced the same power as produced by 1 gallon of gas. I won’t speak to the veracity of that claim, but let’s run the math using that number.
In my area, the electricity cost is $0.1809 KwH, so 33.7 x 0.1809 = $6.09 as the cost of electricity to produce the same power as 1 gallon of gas. If electricity rates stay constant, then gas must be higher than $6.09 per gallon before an electric car makes any economic sense.
Of course, that does not even consider the cost of the replacement battery or other costs, so the whole economic approach crashes and burns very quickly.
“If you drive your Volt to visit a friend or relative, what’s the protocol? Do you just assume they’re going to let you plug your car in to recharge while they’re visiting? Do the Volt owners offer to fill up their host’s gas tank in return for a charge?”
You present an interesting canard. If they do come to visit, I would be inclined to not let them plug in without being willing to pay me for that cost. However, if they don’t plug in, then they may be forced to stay and any electric car owner would be insufferable after a few short hours!
I guess I’ll play it safe and just ban them from visiting.
The government bought most of them.
I think that the best policy. It may never make the news, but sooner or later it's going to happen: Some (to borrow your word) insufferable prick is going to go somewhere in his e-car, and demand to be recharged while visiting. The host is going to refuse and it will devolve into fisticuffs.
Do you happen to know how to converg KwH into actual time? I know that it would depend on the “draw” of the item using the electricity and that there are very likely many other variables, however it would be nice to know the actual cost of that 10 hour Volt charge.
Did you get asked, I didn’t.
Saying anything else would be admitting that they screwed up. After watching the mental gymnastics a few hybrid owners went through to justify their purchases to me, I totally get this.
You just cannot fix stupid.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.