Posted by Jim Erhardt on February 8, 2017 at 8:51 AM
So my current vehicle is a 2007 Subaru Forster XT, which is essentially a Subaru WRX with a mini-SUV body. I purchased it new and over the years relived my childhood by modifying it for higher power and better performance. It is a sleeper, a Corvette killer in grocery-getter clothing. It's been long paid for and remains very reliable everyday transportation.
If I were to replace it today, I would take a very different route: I'd go 100% electric. The new Chevy Bolt has a range of 200 miles with its 60kw battery pack, which is more than enough for my needs. I've been averaging about 10,000 miles a year over the last four years so I could typically go a week before having to recharge it.
But IMO, it makes ZERO sense to have an electric car when you have to recharge it from a fossil fuel powered grid. Out current energy source here in NH is EverSource, which is 100% fossil fuel (half of that from a single coal-fired plant). But here is where it gets interesting: we could also buy our power from a company called FairPoint Energy, which has a plan that is 100% wind powered and the rates are comparable to EverSource! Switching energy suppliers here in NH is an easy process.
Hmmm, an electric car that gets recharged with wind power - that is something I would do!
The icing on the cake in this scheme is the availability of net metering - I could install solar PV panels on our garage roof and tie them back into the grid, which offsets the power we consume. I figured about 2KW of panels would offset the amount of wind-powered electricity we would have to purchase to recharge the Bolt, making the vehicle truly wind/solar powered.
Of course the biggest challenge to this scheme is convincing Ms. Donna what a good idea it wold be to have a car payment again. But with a $7,500.00 federal tax credit on the purchase of an EV and about $100.00 a month in gasoline savings, I might be able case.
NOOOO!!! Once you factor in the environmental damage hidden in the exploration,mining and refining of the rare earths, lithium and other exotic and less exotic raw materials needed to build an electric car, the balance sheet becomes seriously negative. Not to speak about the fact that, in general, even if in your case you can just use wind/solar power, most people would still be using hidden coal-generated electricity. And, joule for joule, coal emits about twice as much CO2 as gasoline, plus all sort of other nasties that are much more strongly regulated in vehicle emissions (although this so-called administration may want to get rid of this alternative fact ).
And finally - the real killer. In my view, if it ain't got three pedals it's a golf cart. My wife does not know how to drive an automatic (let alone a car with no transmission). I have to when I rent a car in the U.S., but I hate it. We have 3 cars that we will NEVER sell as they are irreplaceable: 2004 Honda S2000 (6 speed, only kind they made, bought new), 2008 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT (5 speed, yes, a true sleeper, bought new), 2006 BMW 330 (6 speed, bought with 50,000 miles for less that 20% of what it cost new, no wrecks, we could hardly believe it, already put another 40,000 miles on it with not a single glitch, and man is it a sleeper...). They are all fully paid and we plan on keeping them all until we die, or the DMV takes away our driver licenses.
You will regret it, Jim. The turbocharged Forester is irreplaceable. Think about it....
Alberto
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 8, 2017 at 4:15 PM
Energy sources were a consideration in our decision to move from Alaska to Idaho. In Fairbanks, something like 70-80% of our electricity was fossil fuel-based. Here in Boise, it's 3-5%. In Fairbanks, we heated with fossil fuels, coal or heating oil. And the degree-days were fearsome. In Boise, it's still a fossil fuel, but at least it's natural gas, somewhat cleaner. And the degree-days of heating are about 60% lower. We will eventually get solar installed on our roof, but Idaho has to get its legal act together first.
Home heat and lights are a much bigger factor than auto consumption on a household basis. Just a thought.
We've been looking at electric cars also, but it seems that the mileage claimed for a lot of of the lower end models is not reality. I would do a little more research to see what the real life mileage of the Chevy is. Seems that when they do their testing it is under optimal conditions that almost never are true to life. They may be getting better. We've had solar for many years, and put in a system big enough so that SDG&E sends us a nice check every year. It really has worked out well, and solar systems keep dropping in price. The Tesla is the one that seems to be taking over here where the sun shines. They are pricey, but one upside is that you will leave that Corvette next to you wondering where you went when the light turns green.
Discussion
3 repliesIf I were to replace it today, I would take a very different route: I'd go 100% electric. The new Chevy Bolt has a range of 200 miles with its 60kw battery pack, which is more than enough for my needs. I've been averaging about 10,000 miles a year over the last four years so I could typically go a week before having to recharge it.
But IMO, it makes ZERO sense to have an electric car when you have to recharge it from a fossil fuel powered grid. Out current energy source here in NH is EverSource, which is 100% fossil fuel (half of that from a single coal-fired plant). But here is where it gets interesting: we could also buy our power from a company called FairPoint Energy, which has a plan that is 100% wind powered and the rates are comparable to EverSource! Switching energy suppliers here in NH is an easy process.
Hmmm, an electric car that gets recharged with wind power - that is something I would do!
The icing on the cake in this scheme is the availability of net metering - I could install solar PV panels on our garage roof and tie them back into the grid, which offsets the power we consume. I figured about 2KW of panels would offset the amount of wind-powered electricity we would have to purchase to recharge the Bolt, making the vehicle truly wind/solar powered.
Of course the biggest challenge to this scheme is convincing Ms. Donna what a good idea it wold be to have a car payment again. But with a $7,500.00 federal tax credit on the purchase of an EV and about $100.00 a month in gasoline savings, I might be able case.
Wish me luck.
And finally - the real killer. In my view, if it ain't got three pedals it's a golf cart. My wife does not know how to drive an automatic (let alone a car with no transmission). I have to when I rent a car in the U.S., but I hate it. We have 3 cars that we will NEVER sell as they are irreplaceable: 2004 Honda S2000 (6 speed, only kind they made, bought new), 2008 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT (5 speed, yes, a true sleeper, bought new), 2006 BMW 330 (6 speed, bought with 50,000 miles for less that 20% of what it cost new, no wrecks, we could hardly believe it, already put another 40,000 miles on it with not a single glitch, and man is it a sleeper...). They are all fully paid and we plan on keeping them all until we die, or the DMV takes away our driver licenses.
You will regret it, Jim. The turbocharged Forester is irreplaceable. Think about it....
Alberto
Home heat and lights are a much bigger factor than auto consumption on a household basis. Just a thought.