Quote from: Ray_81 on January 27, 2023, 03:22:53the average price of electricity in the US is 13 to 16 cents. I pay 10 cents per kWh here in eastern PA. So if I had an inefficient SUV for an EV where I live I would still only pay $5 to drive 100 miles, and if I had a Tesla Model 3 I would pay $2.5 to drive 100 miles.
Not disputing what you're saying, nor am I saying the study isn't problematic, as I haven't looked at it and don't know, but there's another factor to consider: electricity where you are is cheap, but it's much more expensive in other places. I don't know, and could be wrong, but I'd guess it tends to be a lot more in bigger cities, the same areas where EVs are more popular/common. So while EVs in other areas may be cheaper, if the majority of EVs are in areas where electricity is also more expensive, then on average they very well could be more expensive. Of course, that's why anytime statistics are involved, careful interpretation is necessary, since statistics can be manipulated to show whatever one wants.
Quote from: Telek on January 27, 2023, 03:40:33To blindly repost a study that makes no sense without verification is journalistic malpractice.
Well, this is NBC, a site that simply reposts a lot of stuff from elsewhere and does little actual journalism of their own. Still, there are other considerations (see above) that
may lend credence to the study. Also, as I mentioned previously, part of the difference between EV and ICE cost is that the former avoids road usage taxes whereas the latter has to pay them, so that alone makes the argument that EV is cheaper unbalanced and unfair. As I said above, I can't speak to this study, and it may very well be total BS, but it's funny how I've never seen someone proclaiming how EVs are better because they're cheaper per mile mention this inconvenient fact. I'd like to see how the costs compare if equal taxes were applied to electricity used to charge EVs. But instead, EV owners do more road damage (heavier vehicles and likely more miles driven) yet pay no road use tax, then brag about how cheap their cars are to drive. Another consideration is that EV tires cost more and wear out faster, which means while the "fuel"
may be cheaper, when tires are factored in, EVs don't do as well as they look based on mpg/mpkWh alone. Not saying they're not still cheaper, but the
whole picture needs to be looked at in order to tell for sure and, again, I can't recall ever seeing anyone arguing how EVs are so much cheaper mention that. They somehow always conveniently forget that. How about crunching those numbers again taking into account the lack of taxes being paid (i.e. free use of the roads and contributing to their wear but not their repair) and the difference in tire cost and wear? I'm genuinely curious if a
truly fair comparison would still show EVs as cheaper.