Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary
Plus a $900 option isn't a lot for a $30,000 car. And for someone getting 30mpg in their current car with fuel prices at $4 per gallon, that $1,575 is only 12,000 miles worth of fuel. So compared with a gasoline car, the solar panels pay for themselves in a little over a year.
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I typically cut out all the parts of the quote I agree with...
You described the genius of their marketing. A typical consumer will reason that $900 to more than double the solar capacity, and which is less than a months rent, is a fantastic bargain even though it's more than twice the cost of a residential panel.
I actually think it's a fine value for those individuals I mentioned above who are reclusive, rent, and otherwise have extremely high electricity costs. That market might be big enough to sell the quantity needed to make it, who knows?
Comparing the current cost of gasoline in an EV is the wrong level of analysis. The proper analysis is the actual alternative to solar charging, which is plugging in at home. If you've got access to $0.10/kWh from a standard outlet, then the value of 1 kWh of solar electricity is 10 cents.
Of course, it's hard to determine the value of solar electricity if one has no reasonable access to plugging in. That said, there's plenty of alternative vehicles that provide a cramped space for less money and are very fuel efficient.
This vehicle's target audience might be those living in remote parts of the Australian Outback.
Presumably they have invested extra in UV protective paint
