Do electric cars actually save you money?

[Dave]

I've been thinking about this.... does buying and owning a car like
Chevy's Volt actually save you money over the course of time? Sure, you
save money on gas.. at least somewhat... but does the money you save
from not buying as much gas get sucked up via every time you plug the
car in? And when you are on the road and stop to get 'electric' at a
station, how much do they charge ya to charge? Just curious. Anyone have
input on this? 

[XLFD]

Not only does it throw a new dangerous twist into the repair angle, it also makes it a little more dicy on the vehicle rescue angle. Most extricating tools (such as the "jaws of life", more appropriately called spreaders and/or cutters) are metal and very conductive to current. Hybrids and fully-electric vehicles will often have electrical shock dangers to the rescuer and rescu-ee even if the battery is disconnected.

Spreading open the door, cutting through door posts, could be fatal without proper precautions. Being that many accidents happen at night and many hybrids are made to look like a 'normal' car, the danger might not be ascertained until its too late. Not too mention, most Rescue extricators probably have never had any live training on these types of cars.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Lando!! I loved the first time I drove a Honda Civic hybrid. I though now if all the cars sitting at this busy intersection in Charlotte NC were hybrids the air would be so much less smoggy here this summer. That was 10 years ago before the government got involved trying to regulate social consciousness.

Now after the initial I think these are cool phase, I did some research. While at some point in the near future these may help a lot in the quest for a cleaner world they are not being marketed correctly. If the government feels they needed to be involved in the correct way here why do they not place a mandatory return to sales point on the toxic parts like we do for ohh say soda cans? If you forced the manufacturer to take the batteries back in an recycle them. I am sure the answer would be build better less toxic batteries so we don't have to buy a landfill to place the dead components in wouldn't you think?

My other thought is with a fully electric car is anyone being told your range is severely limited if you need to run a heater or an air conditioner? Think how much wattage your electric space heater costs you at home. Now imagine something that high of current being needed by your electric car to defrost the windshield. Do you think you still get even thirty miles per charge? I somehow doubt this tremendously. In fact I am sure this is why the Volt was designed with a small motor to partially charge the batteries at all the first few times some one sat in traffic in a Michigan winter and had their Volt die that would be the end of Chevy as we know it.

If this were another forum some liberal would get up here and not argue facts, but argue we need to do something!!! .He or she would be right. But where level headed people can agree you can make a larger mess by doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. They also might ar

Any other thoughts of logic anyone?

[AQUAMAN]

Motor Trends comments were that Chevy took surveys and found most Americans drive 35 miles or less one way to work, that's why they designed it to go 40 miles without a recharge. Only problem is, that's a one way drive, not round trip. How many employer parking lots have electrical outlets right now? I like the observations Lando and X made too, and of course yours about the toxic dumping issues that seem to be gleaned over quite well by the press.

[XLFD]

Guido's point about the heaters is a good one, as is Aquaman's point about available charging places and how much you may wind up being 'charged' for it. These do have a lot of promise, but there are a host of difficulties that make the economic and environmental aspects of this 'green' technology questionable at this point. Furthermore, many Americans have to do a lot of their travelling during rush hours, which can reduce the maximum mileage they can get, and strand them in the midst of heavy traffic.

Here's an idea: how about a new type of 'hybrid' vehicle wherein you have electric and/or gas propulsion of the vehicle, but instead of gas and stop pedals you have bike pedals. You pedal as you go down the road and add power to the batteries by the mechanical energy of your pedaling. Extra pedals can be installed on the passenger side. It might just get you through rush hour, and lose those extra pounds in the process. Not for everyone, not necessarily too feasible, but worth considering once you quit laughing about it.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Oh Lord XL all I could think about after your post for the Flintstones mobile with feet sticking out the bottom to run with the car!!! Yabadabadooooooooooooo!!!!

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

My wife is taking an online collage coarse actually titled responsible environmental sciences. In one of their first discussions on the subject of automobile's, the instructor asked the class which was more environmentally responsible at this point in history, Buying a 20k Prius, or keeping your 10 year old Chevy that gets 20 miles to the gallon. The class discussion went on for a few days and then the instructor threw out a few things one being this... If you ditch the older car you just placed a functional car out of service and did you all consider that costs of production of the newer prius?? The plastics and lighter weight materials used to make it light enough to be better on fuel? How about the energy used to recycle the older car?? His point was there is such a thing as the laws of unintended consequences.

[AQUAMAN]

If X's idea ever becomes real, I vote those pedals be moved to the back seat passengers, afterall, if Barney and Wilma want a ride, they can do the pedaling. Would also take the starch out of some kids that have too much pent up energy. A nice little compact frig. in the backseat for cold beverages could also be an option.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Sounds great Aqua!!!

[XLFD]

Just wait till I patent my concept car which has solar panels all over the frame, wind turbines inside the grill and at the end of each door post (excellent radio reception included), and pedals and handcranks for every passenger (check out that school bus's horsepower!). Throw a biomass convertor into the trunk, and all references to the Flintstones will soon be forgotten.