Quote:
Originally Posted by gasstingy
This is exactly why I wanted to ask you about range. I live in North AL and the terrain I drive to work and back is rolling hills. I currently drive a 2010 Prius back and forth to work and can't match your 63.x mpg, not even if I were basing the number off the more optimistic dashboard figure instead of comparing the pump reading to the trip odometer. I'm usually in the 52.x to 54.x by calculating the figure myself.
I am presently sitting on the sidelines of driving an EV, itching to make the leap as soon as the Prius is paid for {this fall}.
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Well my Prius is grill blocked, running 100% gas, Energy Saver A/S with PSI near sidewall max. Essentially every thing you can do short of aero mods and extreme hypermiling techniques.
So maybe some of the difference is Prius to Prius. The rest is the fact that I have a large portion of 20-35 mph zones at both ends of the 15 mile commute. The high speed portion is only about 9 miles long.
I'm paying about 10c per kWh at home and charging for free at work. Unfortunately the work connection is a 120v outlet with the EVSE pulling 12 amps so only 1.2KW and I often only get to charge 4 hours a day.
Even if you can't charge anywhere free, if you can match or be close to my 10c per kWh you'll be paying something like 2 to 3 cents a mile for the electricity.
My thoughts are like this. Say the dash says 4.5 miles per kWh but is optimistic. I'll use 4 miles per kWh for easy math. At 10 cents per kwh that is 2.5 cents per mile.
If you are used to 50 mpg you can compare the cost of a gallon of gas in your area to the cost of 12.5 kWh. I'm pretty sure you'll find it cheaper to drive the electric per mile but you'll have that $9000 up front cost of grabbing a newer car and you'll have to pay a bit for
1. a 240v outlet in your garage if you want to charge at a decent rate
2. an EVSE that will do 240v
In my case I spent about $700 for the new dedicated circuit. I paid extra to make it a 50 amp circuit (to allow 40a continuous) so I would be good to go if I bought a second EV. I also have my main breakers at the wrong end of the house so my run is longer than average. You could keep that cost lower if you settle for a 30 amp circuit to allow for 24a continuous charging and/or if you run is shorter than mine, and/or you do your own electrical work.
I grabbed an openevse for about $300 to allow me to charge from the 14-50 socket I have and be a robust enough evse for any car I might buy in the next few years (Tesla is the only company that seems to provide a 40 amp capable evse with the car, all the rest stick you with a dinky 12a evse).
I'd stick with either a 14-30 or 14-50 based EVSE. The nice thing is that the EVSE doesn't use the neutral pin so you can remove that and have a universal plug that works on either 14-30 or 14-50 and the 14-50 sockets are more common.
Assuming you can charge it quick enough, it isn't a problem with a used leaf to do a 60+ miles a day in the summer time. I can charge mine once every day and a half right now doing 35 miles a day. The question is what kind of range will I get this winter?
It'd be hard to recommend a leaf with 80% battery capacity (which is what I'd expect for a $9000 leaf at end of 2015) to someone that has to use the entire battery pack to make the daily commute because the range will shrink temporarily by a large amount in the winter and permanently by a smaller amount in the summer / year round (assuming you live far enough south, and Alabama/Georgia is in that category).
So if you have the ability to charge at both ends of the trip while parked and unattended then cool it'll work.
L0 = Not being able to charge is 0 miles an hour
L1 charging is good for 4 to 5 miles an hour
L2 charging is good for 10 or so miles an hour (on a 2011/2012)
L2 charging can be good for 20 miles an hour on a 2013 or newer with 6.x KW charger
L3 (ChaDemo) is faster than you need to drive assuming your destination is only half a charge away.
If you can charge L2 at work and L2 at home you can commute much longer each way.
If either place is limited to L1 or no charging at all your commute range just shrank by 25-50%.
How quick you can charge and how reliable your charging method is will be more important to you than what the absolute max range from 100% charge is.
Oh and if you forget a wallet or ID card at home and don't realize it until you get to work you don't have a choice to drive back to get it unless there is a Chademo plug along your route. You are stuck at one end or the other of that commute until you L2 up enough to make the extra two unexpected legs of the journey.