There are a number of ways to determine EV costs. Where we don’t have accurate information. we must generalize or make assumptions. Long-term maintenance, resale value, and even insurance rates may change as we get more experience with electric vehicles. We can determine a carbon footprint, but this also requires some generalizations. And a higher purchase price has to be balanced against lower operating costs. What we can calculate with good accuracy is the cost in electricity per month.

The electrical cost of an EV is determined by

1. The cost of your local electric rates. Your home bill is the best place to find this information, but the DOE EIA produces lists of href=”http://www.eia.gov/electricity/data.cfm#sales”>averages by state. At $0.3458 per kWh, electricity will cost you about the most in Hawaii, while, at $0.0809, it is about the cheapest in Idaho.

2. Modifications to the normal rate./> – Your electric bill will probably have a minimum payment amount. If you don’t use the minimum amount you will be paying for it anyway./> – Time of use rating – in most places you can get deep discounts by using a special meter that is smart enough to tell when you are using the electricity at off peak hours. The electric rate may be 1/2 or less the daytime rate./> – Net metering: solar panels – If you have href=”http://cleantechnica.com/2008/02/07/how-to-cheap-or-free-solar-panels/” target=”_blank”>solar PV panels on your roof you may also be on href=”http://cleantechnica.com/tag/net-metering/” target=”_blank”>net metering. The total cost of electricity will then be the difference between what you sell to the utility (typically at peak daytime rates) and your usage. When combined with an EV charging at off-peak rates at night, the href=”http://cleantechnica.com/2011/09/12/electric-vehicles-smart-grid-residential-solar-power-a-virtuous-circle-emerges/” target=”_blank”>combination of solar PV panels and an electric car is very attractive. There are now even href=”http://www.matthewb.id.au/solar/zero-motoring-bills-electric-vehicle-plus-how-many-solar-panels.html”>online calculators to help you decide how many solar panels you would need.

3. How much you drive the vehicle. If you don’t drive the car, you are not using fuel. The average mileage for each driver is an estimate that varies depending upon what source you consult. In the US, this ranges from about 12,000 to 15,000 for the average driver in a year. The Federal Highway Administration shows that totals vary by age and gender, but it also varies substantially based on whether you live in an urban or rural area. While the EPA uses 15,000 miles, its href=”http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm”>overall average is 13,467 miles per driver. This amounts to (13476/12 =) 1,123 miles per month. A useful figure for an EV driver is likely less, as it is unlikely that an electric car would presently be used in rural settings where we expect longer driving distances.

4. What vehicle. The economy of a vehicle will be affected by many factors, including wind resistance, (including frontal area) rolling resistance, drivetrain efficiency, and the weight of the vehicle. Smaller, lighter, aerodynamic vehicles with special tires (or rails) will be more efficient and cheaper to operate. A vehicle with bigger or smaller batteries will change the range for the vehicle but not the operating costs.

Is a smaller battery better? It will charge faster, but do you care if you are sleeping at the time. We don’t fret about the time because it is similar to the time it takes to wash our clothes. We can be at home and doing other things and not focusing our attention being in a line or fueling a vehicle. If you are afraid you might forget to plug it in, you could use a href=”http://www.xconomy.com/detroit/2011/04/14/delphi-showcases-witricitys-wireless-electric-vehicle-charging-technology-at-sae-co”>wireless charger.