SanDust said:
adric22 said:
If anyone saw my rant about EVGO, I will point it out again. I believe that business model is doomed to failure. Nobody ever pays for a subscription to a service unless that subscription adds value.
I think eVgo provides good value. You sign a contract for three years at $90/month. That's $3240, which sounds like a lot. But you get a Level II charger and they install it for you. Then you can use it to charge your car without cost on an all-you-can eat plan. Plus you can use their public chargers.
Once you subtract out the cost of the charger and installation you're only paying about $45/month for all charging, including at public Level II and DC chargers. That strikes me as a good deal, especially since you don't have to pay up front for the charger.
As I mentioned in another thread, what can make a program like this unappealing is too much government support. For example, if the government gives you a free Level II charger and your friendly local utility gives you a special rate plan, then a program like eVgo isn't looking so appealing.
The $2500 for an installed level 2 charging station at home is ludicrous. We're already seeing that drop off and we're seeing EVSE at Home Depot and other outlets for $700, soon it will be less. With your own electrician and reasonable permit fees, you can get a level 2 EVSE installed at home for $1,000 on a simple install. Those prices will continue to fall.
For convenience, I've rounded the $89/mo to $90. If that $1/mo makes a difference to you, please adjust the following analysis accordingly!
And what about the next 3 years? $3240 for the next 3 years, $90/month!
$0.30/kWh (expensive) = 300 kWh/mo = (3miles/kWh) 900 miles/month = 10,800 miles/yr
$0.20/kWh (moderate) = 450 kWh/mo = (3miles/kWh) 1350 miles/month = 16,200 miles/yr
$0.10/kWh (cheap) = 900 kWh/mo = (3miles/kWh) 1350 miles/month = 32,400 miles/yr
I'm a low mileage household, so I'll put maybe 6,000 miles/yr on the LEAF and my energy economy is better than 4 miles/kWh so I need 1,500 kWh/yr or 125 kWh/mo. $90/mo for 125 kWh = $0.72/kWh !
If you're putting 15,000 miles per year or more on your LEAF and don't drive conservatively (3 vs. 4 miles/kWh), eVgo may work for you. It's not worth it to me on the few occasions I might use a QC, factoring in the battery degradation of QC. I'll just fire up the 2002 Prius that's already paid for and gets 40+ MPG. Yes I'd like Plug In Prius to complement the LEAF, and get better mileage and a few more electric miles, but having the LEAF + the 2002 Prius that's already paid for, it's like having a Prius with 100 mile Electric only range and 40+ MPG on gas. If you have choices, the value of eVgo is severely diminished for the price they charge. Besides, I have Solar PV at home anyway, so the home energy component of eVgo is irrelevant - worse - a waste of money for those who take the additional step of putting Solar Electric in.
Besides, the Time Of Use rates are not a government hand out, they arer the economic realities of the utility companies. Things are moving towards TOU instead of away from it, so expect to see more TOU rates in residential settings in the future. It only makes sense to encaourage consumers to save them selves and the utilities money by running heavy appliances, clothes dryers, electric car charging etc. outside of the 2 - 9 pm peak power demand window.
The crazy tiered rates based on usages that we have in CA, PG&E etc. are under review now and will be changing so that the top tiers are less expensive. The tiers will also incorporate time of use components, so jhust based on market forces, home EV charging is going to get cheaper at night than it is today in those areas that have the excessive tiered rates.
Crazy, eVgo even has the Plug In Prius on their website, but the plan for that is still $90/mo!
Toyota Prius PHV (PHEV)
Charge time: 90 min (Level 2)
Maximum range: 13 Mi (600+ hybrid)
MSRP: $27,000