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1 cent a mile, $150 per year in direct fuel cost for 15k miles
My Insight is 3 cents a mile. $450 per year for 15k miles.
The Echo is 4 cents a mile. $600 per year for 15 k miles.
The savings in fuel cost will not cover the higher insurance and property taxes., probably at least another $1000 per year even $2000 in some areas.
Not to mention the interest earned on the money I did not spend. $20,000 at 2% is $400per year.
And if you believe the govt is going to let you drive without paying any road taxes because you buy no gasoline, you don't understand govt and taxes.
15k miles at the max of 40 miles per charge will mean you will have to fully recharge your battery 375 times. Hard to do in one year.
How long does that battery last?
How much does the replacement battery cost?
Lets be realistic folks. Nissan said the cost per mile for the Leaf would be in the range of 5 to 6 cents a mile when you account for all of the direct costs, especially if you consider the life expectancy of the battery. That's with a 100 mile range and a whole lot fewer full recharges in the same distance.
Don't kid yourselves about the battery life and reply with the I'll sell it before the battery goes bad. One of the major cost considerations will be the battery replacement issue, when BEV's become used cars, which happens the day after the first new one is sold.
Jammer you are getting 45 MPG in your Cobalt with a range of probably 500 miles or more.
Call it 5 cents a mile ($2.129 per gallon here today). That's $750 for 15 k miles in fuel cost, or $600 per year more than your 1 cent a mile (wrong because you are forgetting the battery replacement cost) quote for the Volt.
So for $20,000 more than your Cobalt your range is 7% or less (of the Cobalt) and your break even point is somewhere close to 30 years.
Now I just don't see rushing out to buy a car that has a 20 mile operational radius, and the fact that GM has not published any mileage figures when the IC takes over makes me believe they feel it would not enhance their position.
Bean counters have a way of bringing optimists down to earth.
regards
Mech
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