Gas: How Much Are You Paying?

[Variable]

Vancouver's got a pretty good system, there's usually a bus driving around somewhere. They have those power line deals and are electric... BC's on hydro power, so no gasoline!

[DramaRani]

I'm going to find out in a couple of hours

[Purple_alien]

I saw gas for $3.63 last night, When I went to get some, there was like 50 cars there. I just went home. I had enough gas

[Variable]

Okay, so I was at the library today, and they had an electric car on display (it was actually an electric truck, but whatever)


I was talking to the guys about it, and I've come to the conclusion that, for a family who has two cars, it makes sense right now for one of them to be electric. It seriously makes sense, as more than 80% of the population wouldn't use their internal combustion car beyond the electric's range or during it's charging interval anyway.

so what they'd be getting is their normal urban driving in at under a tenth the cost. Think about what you spend on your car right now and think of how much money that'd save you. A few bucks per charge.


The cons of electric cars - they're still don't have the best range - like 100 kms for the less advanced ones. Although, if you've been keeping tabs on it, due to developments in the cell phone/laptop battery industry, there are a lot of spin-off improvements which are maturing to the point of it being comptetive in the vehicle industry. The newer ones are looking at ranges of up to 350 km plus (200+ miles) in the next couple of years. The highest I heard was 480km.

Another con - supporting infrastructure.... you'll need access to an outlet for your car. The good news is that's coming. Right now in Vancouver, it's being made mandatory that outlets for electric vehicles in all new building's parking areas. Us Canadians know what plugging in our cars is all about anyway hahah.

A big concern is charging time - but if you think of it like your ipod or your phone, and plan ahead a little (if even) it's not a real big problem for normal city driving. Also, with the new lithium ion batteries in the newer cars, there are rapid charging options which can fill your car up most of the way in under an hour. Usually the left over juice from the day before is enough to keep you topped up.

Another thing is looks. They always look like silly little toys. But that's changing, and people don't seem to care about that as much these days anymore anyway (look at all the Smart Cars and Toyota Yarises out there. Heck, if someone will drive an Aztek...)

So I still think that this isn't a real solution for everyone, I myself would be a little reserved just in case I had to do any real long distance driving. But I think they're on the brink of becoming viable alternatives. At like 2 or 3 cents per mile (1.3 cents per km) along with the much reduced maintenance costs.... definitely an idea to make that second car an electric.

[Revert]

Originally Posted by Salika

They have a far better public transportation than we do.

Hmm define better..

Yes there more buses and trains, but you have your good with your bad.

Alcoholics and Druggies peeing and crapping on the bus, rowdy youths starting fights with anyone they can. Needles, joints and other drug paraphanalia left on the bus.

It might just be my area but thats how it was for me growing up.

I think we are paying $3.79 and NJ has the cheapest gas in the US!

[GOTFIVEONIT]

Originally Posted by Variable

Vancouver's got a pretty good system, there's usually a bus driving around somewhere. They have those power line deals and are electric... BC's on hydro power, so no gasoline!

why are you talking about this? i dont like it. talk about something else.

[MossadConspiracy]

Originally Posted by Revert

Hmm define better..

Yes there more buses and trains, but you have your good with your bad.

Alcoholics and Druggies peeing and crapping on the bus, rowdy youths starting fights with anyone they can. Needles, joints and other drug paraphanalia left on the bus.

It might just be my area but thats how it was for me growing up.

I think we are paying $3.79 and NJ has the cheapest gas in the US!

i just drove through NJ and couldnt believe the prices

its $4.27 here

[Revert]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

i just drove through NJ and couldnt believe the prices

its $4.27 here

Damn thats crazy bro!

[sumiyia]

Originally Posted by Variable

Okay, so I was at the library today, and they had an electric car on display (it was actually an electric truck, but whatever)


I was talking to the guys about it, and I've come to the conclusion that, for a family who has two cars, it makes sense right now for one of them to be electric. It seriously makes sense, as more than 80% of the population wouldn't use their internal combustion car beyond the electric's range or during it's charging interval anyway.

so what they'd be getting is their normal urban driving in at under a tenth the cost. Think about what you spend on your car right now and think of how much money that'd save you. A few bucks per charge.


The cons of electric cars - they're still don't have the best range - like 100 kms for the less advanced ones. Although, if you've been keeping tabs on it, due to developments in the cell phone/laptop battery industry, there are a lot of spin-off improvements which are maturing to the point of it being comptetive in the vehicle industry. The newer ones are looking at ranges of up to 350 km plus (200+ miles) in the next couple of years. The highest I heard was 480km.

Another con - supporting infrastructure.... you'll need access to an outlet for your car. The good news is that's coming. Right now in Vancouver, it's being made mandatory that outlets for electric vehicles in all new building's parking areas. Us Canadians know what plugging in our cars is all about anyway hahah.

A big concern is charging time - but if you think of it like your ipod or your phone, and plan ahead a little (if even) it's not a real big problem for normal city driving. Also, with the new lithium ion batteries in the newer cars, there are rapid charging options which can fill your car up most of the way in under an hour. Usually the left over juice from the day before is enough to keep you topped up.

Another thing is looks. They always look like silly little toys. But that's changing, and people don't seem to care about that as much these days anymore anyway (look at all the Smart Cars and Toyota Yarises out there. Heck, if someone will drive an Aztek...)

So I still think that this isn't a real solution for everyone, I myself would be a little reserved just in case I had to do any real long distance driving. But I think they're on the brink of becoming viable alternatives. At like 2 or 3 cents per mile (1.3 cents per km) along with the much reduced maintenance costs.... definitely an idea to make that second car an electric.

i'm really looking forward to that... if i get one, it has to at least be able to go 200+ miles without a charge. we do a lot of extended driving and can't pull off the freeway in the middle of it looking for an outlet...

[sumiyia]

tesla roadster, 100% electric... 220 miles per charge... $0.02 per mile... wow! so $4.40 for 220 miles?? i'm sold...

[Bruinrab]

Originally Posted by sumiyia

tesla roadster, 100% electric... 220 miles per charge... $0.02 per mile... wow! so $4.40 for 220 miles?? i'm sold...

The Tesla Roadster is amazing, but it costs about $100K. Not bad compared to a porsche 911 or something like that, but certainly not realistic for most people.

[IbnMardhiyah]

Originally Posted by Variable

The cons of electric cars - ...

Ypu forgot the whole ruckus about electric cars being too quiet - and thus a danger to blind people who can usually hear regular cars. I think that's an unwarranted objection, but still, lobbying groups are pressuring electric car manufacturers to put some kind of artificial noise system in the cars to bring it inline with the decibel values of the more quieter combustion engines.

Originally Posted by sumiyia

tesla roadster, 100% electric... 220 miles per charge... $0.02 per mile... wow! so $4.40 for 220 miles?? i'm sold...

Yeah but the TCO is still way higher than other regular cars.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by IbnMardhiyah

Ypu forgot the whole ruckus about electric cars being too quiet - and thus a danger to blind people who can usually hear regular cars. I think that's an unwarranted objection, but still, lobbying groups are pressuring electric car manufacturers to put some kind of artificial noise system in the cars to bring it inline with the decibel values of the more quieter combustion engines.

Weird.

Yeah but the TCO is still way higher than other regular cars.

Most electrics are comparable to their ICE counterparts (but they don't look as cool as that one)

[Purple_alien]

Originally Posted by Revert

I think we are paying $3.79 and NJ has the cheapest gas in the US!

Sucks to be in the North. Here in the South, the cheapest is $3.71
Of course, this comes with the added bonus of Full service
I'm getting nervous tho- I'm driving down south for my family reunion, and its July 4 weekend. I'm totally expecting $5 a gallon, but if its over 4 now, I may have to recalculate

[IbnMardhiyah]

Originally Posted by Variable

Weird.

Yeah no kidding, Seems like you can't satisfy everyone.

Most electrics are comparable to their ICE counterparts (but they don't look as cool as that one)

Agreed - most are, but not the Tesla.

Taking into account the 100K starting price tag, regular and exclusive maintenance costs, S&H costs [because its not as widely available as regular cars], customization, etc - all that taken into consideration makes the total cost of ownership go up substantially over a five year period, for example.

If I ever bought it, it would be more for emotional, feel-good reasons and not about the environment. The capitalist shark in me still wants the throaty purr of a real McCoy ICE sportscar.