[vladgur]

I compared costs to drive a Tesla model y for 1000 miles and a Toyota Camry hybrid for 1000 miles when buying a car recently.

With my electrical costs in SF Bay Area, that cost was $94 per 1000 miles on a Tesla and $100 per 1000 miles on a Camry hybrid.

However Tesla was $20,000 more than a Camry and Camry had wider, more comfortable seats.

We went with a Camry and judging by its reliability record I would probably not have to worry about anything other than a fluid change for a decade or two

[danans]

> With my electrical costs in SF Bay Area, that cost was $94 per 1000 miles on a Tesla

With the EV2-A rate plan [1] (which you should definitely use if you drive an EV any significant amount), the 1000 miles cost much less if you limit charging to the off peak times.

The Model Y gets 3.3-3.8 miles/kWh. Let's say 3.6 miles/kWh average.

1000 miles at 3.6 miles/kWh is 278kWh.

Off-peak EV2-A rate: $0.26/kWh 278 kWh * $0.26/kWh ~= $72

The savings in operational energy cost for the Tesla will never pay for the difference in price, but the Model Y and Camry are fundamentally different cars in performance and functionality, so it's not really an apples to apples comparison.

A more sensible comparison would be between a top-trim Camry XLE ($35000) and an entry-level trim VW ID.4 ($40000 - $7500 tax credit = $32500).

But you have a point that there are very few inexpensive midsize EV sedans on the market right now.

1. https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/rate-plans/rate-plan-o...

[vladgur]

EV-A rate is a non-starter because it pushes your electrical costs to between $0.46 and 0.57 per kWh between the hours of 3pm and midnight.

Sure you can try to shift your laundry to the morning, but I suspect there would still be higher overall energy costs with EV-A especially if you have a family.

The only way electric car would make sense with my rates is if I paid few thousands to install a second meter or paid tens of thousands to install solar.

I bought a used low mileage 2020 Camry hybrid LE with 47+ mpg and front hip room(ie seat width) 4 inches wider than that of model y for $26000.

Comparable mileage wise teslas model ys were being sold for about $47000.

I searched through MYLR forums and Facebook groups and landed on reported 0.27-0.265 kWh/mi which is pretty close to your estimate of kWh per 1000mi.

The biggest challenge for me was that I would not be able to arrive at $0.26 per kWh without further investments into my electrical infrastructure which would further reduce the cost savings from going electric.

Tesla MYLR while being better at acceleration is ultimately not a model s - it’s a family car like a Camry. There are some benefits to it being electric or a hatchback but they did not justify an upfront cost and a fairly negligible cost of driving reduction.

Note: this could be a CA issue as I’m aware that our energy costs are easily 3 times of some other states

PS I was specifically seeking out LE trims on Camry because they offer 5mpg advantage over more expensive trims

[lostlogin]

My Corolla had one service in 10 years. Terrible behaviour from me, but I’m not sure I was wrong as it lasted the distance.

However the benefits of EV are subtle but great. Before buying I worried about range.

That’s not an issue. I never have to go to petrol stations, it’s quick to get to speed, it’s quiet, it’s fun.

100% love it. Would increase that rating if the charging interface allowed ‘charge to 80%’ without nasty hacks, and if it had a dog mode.

It wasn’t the cheaper option, and our fuel costs a lot more than it does in the US.

[rootusrootus]

Yes, California has some of the worst electricity prices in the country, something like 3 times the national average.

OTOH, I pay 4 cents per kWh to charge my EV after 10pm. I pay about as much in electricity costs per year as I was paying for gasoline per month on the last car.

[vladgur]

4cents per kWh sounds almost like Solar :)