Are Electric Cars Cheaper to Run?

This post , part of a series we ’re running all aboutelectric cars , was written by Jamie Page Deaton from HowStuffWorks.com .

So you ’ve done everything you’re able to think of : You’vechecked your tire pressure , carpooled , telecommuted– possibly you evenbought a hybrid . But you ca n’t shake that nagging feeling that you ’re auto is still pollute the atmosphere more than you ’d wish . And , let ’s face it : that troublesome intuitive feeling is hard to shake at the hatful of all those tight emissions puke from your railway car ’s tailpipe .

The best solution for emissions remorse is to do aside with your railcar ’s tailpipe altogether . With several affordable and virtual galvanising cars hitting the U.S. market in the next two years , it ’s survive to be easier for everyday consumer to get charged up and hit the route . But , there are more benefit to shift to an electric railroad car than just write out tailpipe emissions . Best of all , those benefits will likely end up in your wallet . While galvanising cars will be more up front than their gasoline - power compatriot , in the long run , they may be cheaper to maneuver .

The biggest savings will be in fuel . A gallon of regular gas today costs an average of $ 2.70 , according to theU.S. Energy Information Administration(EIA ) . Residential electricity price on the other hand , only median $ .11 per kilowatt hour ( again , according to the EIA ) . Nissan says a full charge of their Nissan Leaf electric car will cost $ 2.75 .

It seems like the cost is about the same , but you ’ve got to compass into the math more : on a full mission , a Nissan Leaf will journey about 100 miles ( 160.9 kilometers ) . On one gallon of gas pedal , aNissanVersa will go about 30 mile ( 48.3 kilometers ) . Covering 100 miles ( 160.9 km ) in the Versa will cost about $ 9.00 .

Most galvanizing car also let you save by choosing when they shoot down . you could set up the Versa , as well as male plug - in loanblend from Ford and other automakers , to institutionalize only during off - peak hours , bring down your electricity costs . And , though an in - base charging station for the Leaf costs about $ 2,000 , the EPA figure that a Nissan Versa will cost $ 1,359 per twelvemonth in gas . So , in a piddling over 18 months , the preservation on the Leaf should pay for the charging system .

These figure do n’t take into story insurance and maintenance cost , but the price of black market an electrical machine electric elevator car – just getting the energy required to move it down the road – looks a lot lower than the cost to run a conventional auto .