It is suggested that they cost too much.
http://theage.drive.com.au/green-motoring/evs-20k-too-much-survey-20120717-22716.html

Cheapest All Electric Car in Oz is about $49k, and an equivalent petrol version is roughly $25k (or even $20k).

$24k is a big price gap. Carbon emissions aside, $24k of petrol at $1.60/litre = 15,000 litres (15m3 of fuel!). At 7.5 litres per 100 km (average), that is roughly 200,000km worth of fuel.

I get bored with any car at around 120,000-150,000km of driving...

Hybrid Prius C is about $27k driveaway, but it's probably a $17k car with a $10k premium on fuel / premium for Hybrid. Assuming it is 3.0 litres per 100km better than all petrol, the result is;
- $10,000 of fuel, at $1.60 (assumed) = 6,250 litres divided by 3 litres x 100 = 208,000km before you break even. In truth, it may only be 2.5 litres/100km better off, and a 250,000km break even point.... In that ball park anyway.

Figures above exclude effective interest.

The same cars are sold overseas much cheaper. There is an invisible line about 500 meters off the Australian shore, as soon as a car crosses this line it doubles in price.

If you are doing a lot of driving then electric cars make limited financial sense but of course their limited range mean they can never be driven that much.

Small diesel cars make more financial sense.

Diesel is a 50-50 bet... Price goes up and down, slightly better fuel consumption... But 1 litre of Diesel has more CO2 than 1 litre of regular unleaded.

mineral1 said...

Electric cars of today's era.
Biggest con of todays hoodwinked populist[]

How much are battries to replace and how do you get rid of them when they die?

Couldnt agree more mineral

I'm not sure what type of batteries hybrids use but if there Li-Po's they are not that cheap. My Rc Heli use's a $200 Li-Po that last 4mins and it's still a ticking timebomb. You don't want to overcharge - get it wet - use below a certain voltage - take any impact. A very fragile battery.

I would not like to be in a car that uses Li-Po's on a large scale.

I wonder how many people come out in the morning and see their electric car and think "yes please that's stunning"

bryden61 said...

Is there any (justifyable) reason the all electric cars are so much more expensive? Im no expert but I imagine they would be cheaper to produce, partly because they have would have less parts, require less of the fine tuning precision involved with combustion engines, etc etc (many reasons)

maybe theres a bit of a 'wow its all shiny and electric' fee.. maybe theres a oil/manufacturer consipracy

It's called preservation of your business model. Why, as a car manufacturer, who is major shareholders are oil companies, are you going to kill your income stream with a technology that affects your parent companies bottom line?

Pharm companies similar situation. But people get caught up in conspiracy, but its cash is king..... why would a pharm company want to cure different ailments when the treatment is better at producing income than a cure will ever be.

Of course business model is not the sole reason, but a large part of it. The other is obviously consumer demand and economies of scale, political pressure etc.......

Funny how people think that simply because most professional qualifications have an ethics subject that its understood or even applied. Business is business.... and they will fight to protect income and future income, make no doubts about that.

nebbian said...

Another option I'm considering:

freeriderstc.com.au/

So how many cc is that registered as
I like the way they mention it's ideal for student and nurses. I wonder if thats because there both low income earners

A silent scooter. Great way to be death on 2 wheels. I see one around Nth Brisbane. If it wasn't for the fluro red helmet she would be 6ft under already.

Anyone watch Top Gear last night... Asking the local council where to charge our electric cars, yep 1 at 40km's away the other at 72km's away - bugger that..

Just charging a 3cell 11.1volt LiPo at 3300mah batts x 4 every 2 days increased my power bill by $36 a qtr. In saying that I would have to "assume" these elec cars are running more in the vicinity of 10000mah 90volts+, say a charge twice a week and see how your solar 44c rebate works then. Also no way an electric wheel driven motor will do 200,000km's without replacement parts or complete overhaul for under 1k.

I'll stick with my fuel guzzling landcruiser diesel @ all of 13lt/100km's with a camper on the back and 7 people inside.

nebbian said...

Another option I'm considering:

freeriderstc.com.au/

does that use regenerative breaking?
Specs don't say so

its not an electric car
- its a coal powered car - with a huge loss in energy moving electrons down miles of wires

doesnt that reframe the argument for them somewhat ?

decrepit said...

Reflex Films said...

its not an electric car
- its a coal powered car - with a huge loss in energy moving electrons down miles of wires

doesnt that reframe the argument for them somewhat ?

Certainly does!!!

But electricity doesn't have to come from coal

Simplistic answer is that an Electric Car simply runs on coal / fossil fuels. Quite true. Most nations run at around 80% coal fired power, and the next biggest is gas / natural gas, and nuclear, then you get hydro, and a few others... Then the thin end of the wedge is solar and wind (at the moment)....

However, if you do the research you'll find that Liquid Fuels like Petrol & Diesel actually give off more CO2, and cost more money, compared to average "coal fired" electric cars. Can't remember exact stats, but coal is quiet a bit better than petrol (I think!). Even though you lose electrical efficiency over long distances in the power lines, this is offset by the relative poor efficiency of internal combustion engines. For example, internal combustion engines run very hot, so hot that engine coolant systems are almost always utilised. Excess heat is wasted energy.

scott265 said...

I wonder how many people come out in the morning and see their electric car and think "yes please that's stunning"

Don't hate yourself in the morning, …..sleep till noon.

Macroscien said...

One of the first modern GM electric cars EV1 used 11 kwh per 100km.
at 8 cents per kw that mean that 100 km cost you $0.88
versus modern petrol car 7l/ 100 km $9.8 ( my use 11-13L/100km )
Now with solar on the roof or your home you just need 3kW solar panel that provide all this daily needed juice for your EV for free to the end of your life.
At $1 per 1W of solar panel that mean for $3000 quits you ride to free 100km everyday as long as our SUN exist.
As you can expect solar panel prices are going to drop even further.
What more - for solar panel charging car you don't need expensive inverter and grid connection too.

If there is any need for coal at all ??

8 cents per KWH, that BULL CRAP !!
Yes, you might get charged 8-12 cents off peak, but roll it all up, add it GST, service charge to property, and peak use... Your average cost is actually 20 cents plus. But yes, even at 20 cents you are well in front....

Electric Bicycles are virtually FREE to run... They use so little power that cost is negligible.

Simondo said...
Electric Bicycles are virtually FREE to run... They use so little power that cost is negligible.

At 88c to run EV are also free to run , we could all say.
As for today people do sell in QLD their solar panel electricity back to grid at 6 to 8 cents / 1kwh.
It makes much more sense load your own car battery then.
Similarly to solar panel, and opposite combustion engines, all this electronics silicon stuff could lower prices on everything in unbelievable rate.
Electric car could be so simply build that there is almost nothing in comparison to petrol engine driven where quality of mechanical components are essential.
Electric motor is so simple and indestructible, battery could be completely recycled.
The rest in the car - leather trim and fancy spoilers, hifi sound system, are optional.
Want it or not EV are the only logical future.
As for EV scooters there are already more then adequate power, but I will wait for serious company like Honda or Suzuki to build EV instead of shanky Chinese knock off
www.alibaba.com/product-detail/ZEV7100_109966187.html

Macroscien said...

One of the first modern GM electric cars EV1 used 11 kwh per 100km.
at 8 cents per kw that mean that 100 km cost you $0.88
versus modern petrol car 7l/ 100 km $9.8 ( my use 11-13L/100km )
Now with solar on the roof or your home you just need 3kW solar panel that provide all this daily needed juice for your EV for free to the end of your life.
At $1 per 1W of solar panel that mean for $3000 quits you ride to free 100km everyday as long as our SUN exist.
As you can expect solar panel prices are going to drop even further.
What more - for solar panel charging car you don't need expensive inverter and grid connection too.

If there is any need for coal at all ??