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Cost to charge up Energi?


GadgetGirl

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Disclaimer - I am not an engineer nor did I ever have college-level physics.

 

My normal daily driving pattern will allow me to run exclusively in EV (I think that is the term) mode. If the C-Max has a 7.5 kWh battery and the current rate for electricity in my area is 15 cents per kilowatt-hour,
does that mean a full charge costs $1.13?

 

If this is the case, it will certainly be less expensive than what I am paying for gas ~$3.35 a gallon. I figure I use about 1/2 to 2/3 gallons per day in my 2002 Buick. ~15 miles per day.

 

If I calculated something wrong, please let me know!

 

Thank you!

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@akirby - thanks! All good points that you make. Gasoline will most certainly go up in May - we are in an area that has to use a more expensive mix (and less fuel efficient) in the summer. The technical term escapes me. We always make sure to fill up in Wisconsin when we travel up there!

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  • 4 weeks later...

From what I have read, the C-Max Energi battery is 7.5 KWH capacity, but the system does not allow you to use all that. I think it will use about 6 to 6.5 KWH maximum, leaving a reserve below and above that to maintain battery health.

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  • 4 weeks later...

GG - I did a similar calculation as you did to get an estimate. But then I realized that our utillity provider has different rates for different levels of electricity use.

 

So, if the Energi charging bumps us into another category, the rate per kwh will shift - not sure if that applies to you or not. For us the change is a few cents I think - hard to tell because the darn billing info is so cryptic.

 

I think the best way for us to know is just looking at the change in the monthly charge overall. Our electric bill is always $47 or $48 every month, with virtually no change in kwh useage, so it will be easy for us to see a change and know it was the car that did it.

 

It's really odd - I've always been very careful to keep our electric bill low, and I'm already feeling bummed that it's going to go up. Even though I know the gas bill will go down more, and that our electricity is all renewable, it still annoys me. Weird.

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Charging is not even close to 100% efficiency so knowing the capacity of the battery is only part of the equation.

 

If my Energi ever shows up I will be able to answer the question accurately since I have installed a kilowatt hour (kwh) meter in the circuit that is dedicated to charging the car.

 

My electric bill, at 16 cents per kwh, is never less than $100 per month even in the summer when the power company gives me a $30 per month credit for allowing them to remotely control my air conditioner compressor.

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  • 2 months later...

At work, I pay .07 kwh and at home I pay under .06 kwh. Are you people not able to negotiate your rates with several providers? I also have a 8.4 kw hybrid solar system and a 10.02 kw micro inverter system at home. Plug in hybrid makes sense for me. I have both a portable 110 as well as a portable 220 charger.

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At work, I pay .07 kwh and at home I pay under .06 kwh. Are you people not able to negotiate your rates with several providers? I also have a 8.4 kw hybrid solar system and a 10.02 kw micro inverter system at home. Plug in hybrid makes sense for me. I have both a portable 110 as well as a portable 220 charger.

 

Not in GA. We only have one regulated supplier. There is only one set of wires regardless of who you send money to every month. They did this with gas here in GA and it totally sucks - having to search and switch constantly to get the best rate when one supplier owns all the infrastructure. I much prefer a single regulated utility supplier.

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At work, I pay .07 kwh and at home I pay under .06 kwh. Are you people not able to negotiate your rates with several providers? I also have a 8.4 kw hybrid solar system and a 10.02 kw micro inverter system at home. Plug in hybrid makes sense for me. I have both a portable 110 as well as a portable 220 charger.

The breakdown of my rate:

Customer charge $7.09 (paid to the local company that maintains the infrastructure - wires, poles, transformers etc)

Distribution charges 0.06190 per kwh (paid to the local company that maintains the infrastructure - wires, poles, transformers etc)

Generation charges 0.087900 per kwh (paid to the electric supplier - I think this is my sixth one)

 

My last bill

 

Customer charge $7.09

Distribution charge 683 kwh x 0.0619 $42.28

State tax adjustment - 0.10

Generation charge 683 kwh x 0.0879 60.04

 

Total $109.31

 

 

$109.31 / 683 kwh = $0.16004 per kwh

 

We can choose the generation company but there is very little difference. They are all basically companies that buy power in bulk and resell it. Most have no connection with a power plant.

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