The future of EVs? Maybe not so bad?

Last I looked I was paying .18/kwh and that was about 5 years ago. Probably about .25 now
 
Plus when you go ev you can get on a plan that reduces cost overnight when you are outside peak.
 
Local news just said electric rates are going up everywhere and PA is one that will jump the most. Our boro owns our electric company and buys it from Penn Power. They just said Penn Power will increase about 45% soon. We already pay at least .20/kwh so that will put it at about .30-35.
Their reasoning for electric rates going up is the war in Ukraine???
 
boatman37 said:
Local news just said electric rates are going up everywhere and PA is one that will jump the most. Our boro owns our electric company and buys it from Penn Power. They just said Penn Power will increase about 45% soon. We already pay at least .20/kwh so that will put it at about .30-35.
Their reasoning for electric rates going up is the war in Ukraine???
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This is why now is a good time to consider solar. If you don’t think electrical rates are going to go up with inflation, I don’t know what to tell you. It doesn’t matter “why”, what matters is that they will. Nothing EVs do will change that.
 
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Inflation or not....in the end after the 'transition', energy will be more expensive than ever. For those that it creates a problem...the solution will be simple, you'll be told to use less...a warmer house in the summer, a colder one in the winter, drive less/walk more...nothing to it and you'll be saving the earth;)
 
jmauld said:
This is why now is a good time to consider solar. If you don’t think electrical rates are going to go up with inflation, I don’t know what to tell you. It doesn’t matter “why”, what matters is that they will. Nothing EVs do will change that.
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This I agree with. Just not sure how long we will stay in this house so that definitely factors into it. Also, we were discussing this yesterday and not sure solar is permitted in my boro. I have not seen any houses in town here with any solar panels. Our boro owns the electric dept and uses it as a taxation tool (which they openly admit). It's a town of about 8000 and all full-time police officers make 6 figures with the highest having made $170,000 2 years ago. It has been said that it is the highest paid dept in PA so they protect that electric fund dearly, which is why we pay about .20. I called the PUC on them about 20 years ago over a rental property I bought and the PUC told me what they were doing to me was illegal so they asked for the provider. Once I told them they said 'oh, they own their own provider so we have no authority over them'. It sucks.
 
boatman37 said:
This I agree with. Just not sure how long we will stay in this house so that definitely factors into it. Also, we were discussing this yesterday and not sure solar is permitted in my boro. I have not seen any houses in town here with any solar panels. Our boro owns the electric dept and uses it as a taxation tool (which they openly admit). It's a town of about 8000 and all full-time police officers make 6 figures with the highest having made $170,000 2 years ago. It has been said that it is the highest paid dept in PA so they protect that electric fund dearly, which is why we pay about .20. I called the PUC on them about 20 years ago over a rental property I bought and the PUC told me what they were doing to me was illegal so they asked for the provider. Once I told them they said 'oh, they own their own provider so we have no authority over them'. It sucks.
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Yea, there is no cost recoup model on solar panels before their lifecycle expires (panel efficiency drops to a point they are NVA) which is typically around ten years. With that said the cost of electrical power from the utilities is going up in parts of the grid that are not hydroelectric which helps support installing panels. So, maybe in several years the residential solar power becomes cost effective. Don't bet on recouping cost on selling power back to the utilities as they are pressing back hard on the concept and will probably prevail in terminating those programs. Right now, the only thing that makes residential solar power cost effective are Gov rebates. Plus, if you are a DIY type of person you won't get any rebate. So, you would be doing it for your personal environmental reasons, counting on the cost of power increasing to justify the up-front costs, or getting a bone from the Gov.

It would be myopic to say the least, to justify the purchase of an EV on the cost of utility power. There is the trade in the cost of the car, cost of energy to operate the car, the cost of maintenance, the durability and lifecycle, and the car's resale value. The trade still says gasoline power automobiles are least costly.
 
ttmott said:
It would be myopic to say the least, to justify the purchase of an EV on the cost of utility power. There is the trade in the cost of the car, cost of energy to operate the car, the cost of maintenance, the durability and lifecycle, and the car's resale value. The trade still says gasoline power automobiles are least costly.
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This is correct, you should not get rid of a perfectly good working car to pick up a an EV, but that argument works for a new ICE as well. If you WANT a new car, then sure give an EV a shot, you might be surprised, but there’s no point in trading just for the point of “going green” or saving money. That’s not how that works.

I have a strong suspicion that if the government subsidies for solar went away, the prices would drop.
 
ttmott, I disagree on the cost of the EV over ICE car maintenance my Grand Cherokee is a $100 oil change every 5k plus brake shoes etc. our Tesla is 2 years old no oil, regen braking means the shoes are expected to last 100k miles the car updates in our garage over WiFi it actually has gotten better all around in 2 years added safety features, range, options the battery warranty is 10 years (who keeps a car 10 hrs anymore?) my JEEP is dumb it can’t do any of this
We have $0 out of pocket over 2 years of maint with the EV
 
boatman37 said:
This I agree with. Just not sure how long we will stay in this house so that definitely factors into it. Also, we were discussing this yesterday and not sure solar is permitted in my boro. I have not seen any houses in town here with any solar panels. Our boro owns the electric dept and uses it as a taxation tool (which they openly admit). It's a town of about 8000 and all full-time police officers make 6 figures with the highest having made $170,000 2 years ago. It has been said that it is the highest paid dept in PA so they protect that electric fund dearly, which is why we pay about .20. I called the PUC on them about 20 years ago over a rental property I bought and the PUC told me what they were doing to me was illegal so they asked for the provider. Once I told them they said 'oh, they own their own provider so we have no authority over them'. It sucks.
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I'm remembering back, somethings haven't changed...Jimmy Carter spoke to the people about fossil fuels, sacrifice and humility...now it's Biden.:)
 
Havana Shamrock said:
ttmott, I disagree on the cost of the EV over ICE car maintenance my Grand Cherokee is a $100 oil change every 5k plus brake shoes etc. our Tesla is 2 years old no oil, regen braking means the shoes are expected to last 100k miles the car updates in our garage over WiFi it actually has gotten better all around in 2 years added safety features, range, options the battery warranty is 10 years (who keeps a car 10 hrs anymore?) my JEEP is dumb it can’t do any of this
We have $0 out of pocket over 2 years of maint with the EV
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But I didn't say anything about cost specific to just something like maintenance - I was trying to look at the holistic approach and the lifecycle trade on the overall aspect of automobiles.
 
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