[mettam]

I live in the Northbay of San Francisco. I have estimated it will cost about $3.50 to recharge the battery. (I will deplete the battery pack every day I commute to work)

Can anyone confirm, or deny for me that it costs about $3.50 to recharge depleted battery pack?

My 97 Honda civic cost me $4 a day in gas. So my excitement about getting the Volt has screeched to a halt.

I am hoping someone can tell me that it actually costs a lot less to run the Volt. Other wise I just don't get it, as it seems there isn't a great cost advantage to buying a Volt.

Update -- Seems like I can get the price down to $2.20 to fully charge the battery, with the PG&E special EV rate. Though this special EV rate does mean my teir2 house hold rate goes up.

 

[saghost]

It would be easier to comment intelligently on your situation if you show your math.

The cost of electricity varies by almost an order of magnitude across the country and with different types of plans. Coastal California tends to be on the higher side, but often there are exceptions and loopholes that vary by the utility. I'm not an expert in the Bay area, but I'm sure we have some around.

 

[dznf0g]

Wow, it only costs me $1.83 here in Chicagoland....and that's on the fixed rate plan. I'm switching to the hourly rate and it will drop to about $1.30 to charge overnight.

 

[gkelway]

Do you have the kWh hour rate for your location? $3.50 seems like a lot. Here in Ontario (at night) it's 6.5 cents per kWh.

 

[emartin00]

How far are you commuting every day? What is your electricity cost?

Google tells me SF pays an average of $.21/kWh. Estimating that you use about 14kWh per day for your commute, that would cost just shy of $3 per day.

You've got a car that get's pretty good gas mileage, and live in an area with well above average electricity prices, so you aren't going to save a ton by switching to an EV.

 

[Steverino]

Mine is $1.30 based on the full cost of my electricity (fees, taxes, etc.).

 

[Qinsp]

Buying a new car to save fuel costs in normally pointless. Just the depreciation kills it. Insurance won't help either.

The Volt is quicker and better handling than most '94 cars. And has more safety equipment. The 2017 Volt rates IIHS Top Pick+ and bottoms out the NHTSA ratings. It's a fun car to drive in the city. No warmup. Full tank each morning. Instant passing power.

But using a TOU-EV plan we charge at home at .12 kWh and free at work (solar surplus during charging hours). So at $4 a gallon for gas, the Volt saves money on refueling over a 24 year old car (but not on total cost of ownership per mile). But that was never on our radar, nor was Saving the Whales. It's a great car IMO. Love it. Sometimes I wish for more punch though. Chevy can do it with just programming, but won't. They did it to 2016 Cadillac ELR.


DOH!!! Just never charge your battery on the Volt. It uses far less gas than any Honda made before the Insight.
Which leads to the question:
How do you get to work and back on $4 of gas when gas is $3.50+ in your area? You have a special lane with no congestion that allow you to drive 55 mph each way non-stop? Because a Volt will go over 53 miles in congested traffic, or nearly twice the range of a '94 Honda in urban traffic on $4 of gas.

The 1994 Civic with Automatic gets about same mileage as some pickup trucks do today. The manual will get pummeled in stop-n-go traffic compared a Volt running on EV power or on gas.

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=10741&id=10745&id=10744&id=37309

 

[Raymondjram]

How far are you commuting every day? What is your electricity cost?

Google tells me SF pays an average of $.21/kWh. Estimating that you use about 14kWh per day for your commute, that would cost just shy of $3 per day.

You've got a car that get's pretty good gas mileage, and live in an area with well above average electricity prices, so you aren't going to save a ton by switching to an EV.

Switching to an EV will save "a ton" because you didn't count all the gas engine maintenance and expendables needed. Even if driving an EV will cost more per mile, the maintenance (and time) savings will be more than enough.

 

[JRRF]

Can anyone confirm, or deny for me that it costs about $3.50 to recharge depleted battery pack?

It does if you pay $0.25/kw.

 

[jcanoe]

I live in the Northbay of San Francisco. I have estimated it will cost about $3.50 to recharge the battery. (I will deplete the battery pack every day I commute to work)

Can anyone confirm, or deny for me that it costs about $3.50 to recharge depleted battery pack?

My 97 Honda civic cost me $4 a day in gas. So my excitement about getting the Volt has screeched to a halt.

I am hoping someone can tell me that it actually costs a lot less to run the Volt. Other wise I just don't get it, as it seems there isn't a great cost advantage to buying a Volt.

$3.50 for a full charge sounds about right if you are paying $0.21/kWh and using a total of 16.5kWh to fully charge the Volt's battery (this accounts for charging losses such as wiring, charger heat loses etc.) Assuming you would be able to achieve the Volt EPA estimated EV range of 53 miles this works out to $0.066 per mile. If gas is $4 per gallon in your area you would need to get 60 MPG, only achievable in a hybrid vehicle, to equal the Volt.

One way to reduce your cost would be to have a Time of Use (TOU) plan. Consult your power company.

 

[rhodomel]

I live in the Northbay of San Francisco. I have estimated it will cost about $3.50 to recharge the battery. (I will deplete the battery pack every day I commute to work)

Can anyone confirm, or deny for me that it costs about $3.50 to recharge depleted battery pack?

My 97 Honda civic cost me $4 a day in gas. So my excitement about getting the Volt has screeched to a halt.

I am hoping someone can tell me that it actually costs a lot less to run the Volt. Other wise I just don't get it, as it seems there isn't a great cost advantage to buying a Volt.

I have excess solar electricity from a paid-off grid-tie solar PV System, and I charge mostly at home. My entire electric bill including charging the Volt is on the average $10/month. And I charge the Volt twice a day, and it consumes about 10% of my total electric use. So my cost to fill up my Volt would be 1.7 cents per full charge.

My other friends who are into TOU rates of $0.13/kWH costs them $2.04 to fully charge a depleted Gen 2 battery.

When I use the Volt in hold mode in long distance freeway driving and electric before and after getting to the freeway and electric during traffic, I get 70-85 MPGcs with my Volt.

 

[flyingsherpa]

long distance freeway driving and electric before and after getting to the freeway and electric during traffic, I get 70-85 MPGcs with my Volt.

Do you drive at 45mph on the freeway?

 

[VoltenRock]

We haven't brought up the significantly lower maintenance costs--oil changes once every 2 years, etc.

Agree, though, just focusing on the cost-per-charge can be a bit misleading. If I REALLY wanted, I could probably find ways to opportunity charge my Volt at various free public chargers/plugs and never pay to charge it--although it would be a hassle. However, it's exponentially easier to opportunity charge a Volt than to "opportunity fill" a pure ICE vehicle.

 

[emg77]

I'm at about $1.10 off-peak in Detroit, and about $2.00 on-peak.

 

[FI Spyder]

Doesn't matter what others pay for electricity just you. Roughly speaking to fill the 10 Kw usable battery with 10% loss, that's 11 Kw. at 21 cents a Kw costing you $2.31 on a L2 240V set up, a bit more for the less efficient 120V, say less than two and a half bucks to go 37 or so miles (for a Gen 1). I don't know if you have off peak rates there which might bring that cost down. Are there free or company sponsored chargers at/near work? The Volt gets better gas mileage than the Civic (as stated in above webpage). Less maintenance, oil change every two years, brakes that last for the life of car (seldom/little used). So if you are thinking will it save you money? Yes it will barring any unforeseen issues that may happen, may never. You pays your money and you takes your chances (as with any car).

 

[rmay635703]

From what I can tell it’s still cheaper for me at $2.80 a gallon to use electricity even at your rate.

With a range of 68-72 miles EV and gas mpgs of about 45mpg the math says EV is cheaper by over s penny a mile

Plus if the op runs just gas he needs to do about 4x more oil changes, which does cost $$$


(Hmmm, looks like a troll, 1 post and never back)

 

[aspomwell]

Don't forget that the Volt will let you drive in the HOV lanes in the bay area after you get the stickers (i think they're still available...)

 

[caskConditionedAle]

I didn't buy a Volt to save money. I bought it so that I can say I played a role in helping the world reduce carbon emissions. And don't tell me that "electric generation uses coal" and such. Ultimately, electricity will be the only clean alternative.

 

[Nixon]

I live in Seattle and don't know what I pay for a kilowatt hour because I just open the email with the electric bill, see how much it is and when they want it, then go to my bank app and pay it. I've had a 2012 Volt for about 3 years. I commute about 20 miles a day. After I bought it I tracked my electric bill for 2 or 3 months and it went up by an average of $15. That's it. I used to spend about $30 a month on gas.

But what I think is more relevant is that you will find so many reasons to enjoy Volt ownership other than fuel savings...including the elimination of gas, oil and exhaust smells, great handling, pretty much zero maintenance cost...and that you will no longer even think about stopping and buying fuel. Gas stations, to you, will go the way of record stores...something you remember from long ago in your past.

 

[FI Spyder]

I live in Seattle and don't know what I pay for a kilowatt hour because I just open the email with the electric bill, see how much it is and when they want it, then go to my bank app and pay it. I've had a 2012 Volt for about 3 years. I commute about 20 miles a day. After I bought it I tracked my electric bill for 2 or 3 months and it went up by an average of $15. That's it. I used to spend about $30 a month on gas.

Same here, I had to look it up on BC Hydro website. I just got an email stating I use 4 more kilowatts in last billing period than I did last year. That's 36 cents more over two months than last year. In that time I got the Volt (not used every day) and a second TV that's on all the time. Must be the warm May we had. Just think, if I had two EV's they'd be paying me!