leafme
Well-known member
From 1-13-11 through 1-17-11 my calculations indicate I'm getting 3.3 mi/kwh (assuming the utility meter as my accurate reference) by dividing my odometer delta with my EVSE utility meter delta. The LEAF itself has been reporting a higher 3.6 to 3.8 mi/kwh distance per energy value (9-15% better than I'm actually getting) and Carwings is really out there with 4.7 mi/kwh. Hmmm... I'll be able to check the utility meter in the next few weeks with a power quality monitor the utility is setting at my EVSE disconnect switch and utility transformer as a test.
But for me, even at 3.3mi/kwh I'm saving a bundle over driving my 20 mpg Volvo XC90 using premium gas. The last 12 months of premium Costco gas ranged in the 3.20 to 3.40 $/g range and cost me $1,434 to travel 8,423 mi. Only a few times did I travel out of San Diego county (4 or 5 times max). This pegs my monthly Volvo costs at $1,434/12 or $120. Converting to $/mi I get 0.1702. Charging my LEAF super-off peak at 0.075 $/kwh (city of San Diego adder included) with a driving range of 3.3 mi/kwh I get 0.0227 $/mi in my LEAF (that's right, from 17c to just over 2c). This shows that my LEAF 'lectrc (credit to Randy) "fuel" costs are 0.0227/0.1702 = 13.4% of my 120 $/month Volvo costs or 16 $/month allowing me to pocket the extra 104 $/month... er... I mean... save up for my replacement battery purchase. No matter. I'm selling this car in 36 months and buying the next better model then. By then gas prices ought to be in the 85,496.279 $/g neighborhood (can't forget the "and 9/10ths" ya know).
Now, for those of you driving a Prius or other similarly fairly efficient human transportation device and getting 45 mpg with regular gas, the LEAF will still reduce your gas costs to 33% of what they were... maybe even less if you:
1. drive less freeway miles, or
2. don't use the climate control, or
3. can drive slower on the freeway... something hard to do in San Diego
This 33% (67% savings) is based on regular gas at $3.10/g, a mpg of 45, the LEAF costing 0.0227 $/mi at a super off-peak tariff rate of 0.075 $/kwh (midnight to 5am, 0000-0500 hrs, for SDG&E). This says, to break even with the LEAF "fuel" costs, with $3.10/g gas, you would need a gas powered car that can get $136 mi/g (45/0.33). That's not really a fair comparison since there are battery replacement costs at some point but it looks cool you have to admit.
99+% of my daily driving is in ECO mode, 75% of it is on the freeway during rush hour and 95+% is with the climate control ON. My daily work commute is 34 mi round trip and I'm averaging about 42 mi/day after you knock off my first day 111 mi trek to get it home from Fontana. In the last week I've upped my freeway speed to between 66-68 mph (the LEAF mileage numbers above reflect this pace). I see it as too dangerous and taking too much of my driving attention to go slower. If you try to keep it at 62 to 63 mph or less you are mostly in the right hand lane with all the freeway get-on 'ers and get-off 'ers and ALWAYS watching your rear view mirror for who is about to plow into you... Forget it. The next lane to the left (usually the # 3 lane) is much safer. For that you have to go faster or be a road hazard and go slower.
So, there you have it. My initial cost calcs for the recent 5 day period. I'll give you an update in a week or so now that I have my log up and running.
Malcolm
But for me, even at 3.3mi/kwh I'm saving a bundle over driving my 20 mpg Volvo XC90 using premium gas. The last 12 months of premium Costco gas ranged in the 3.20 to 3.40 $/g range and cost me $1,434 to travel 8,423 mi. Only a few times did I travel out of San Diego county (4 or 5 times max). This pegs my monthly Volvo costs at $1,434/12 or $120. Converting to $/mi I get 0.1702. Charging my LEAF super-off peak at 0.075 $/kwh (city of San Diego adder included) with a driving range of 3.3 mi/kwh I get 0.0227 $/mi in my LEAF (that's right, from 17c to just over 2c). This shows that my LEAF 'lectrc (credit to Randy) "fuel" costs are 0.0227/0.1702 = 13.4% of my 120 $/month Volvo costs or 16 $/month allowing me to pocket the extra 104 $/month... er... I mean... save up for my replacement battery purchase. No matter. I'm selling this car in 36 months and buying the next better model then. By then gas prices ought to be in the 85,496.279 $/g neighborhood (can't forget the "and 9/10ths" ya know).
Now, for those of you driving a Prius or other similarly fairly efficient human transportation device and getting 45 mpg with regular gas, the LEAF will still reduce your gas costs to 33% of what they were... maybe even less if you:
1. drive less freeway miles, or
2. don't use the climate control, or
3. can drive slower on the freeway... something hard to do in San Diego
This 33% (67% savings) is based on regular gas at $3.10/g, a mpg of 45, the LEAF costing 0.0227 $/mi at a super off-peak tariff rate of 0.075 $/kwh (midnight to 5am, 0000-0500 hrs, for SDG&E). This says, to break even with the LEAF "fuel" costs, with $3.10/g gas, you would need a gas powered car that can get $136 mi/g (45/0.33). That's not really a fair comparison since there are battery replacement costs at some point but it looks cool you have to admit.
99+% of my daily driving is in ECO mode, 75% of it is on the freeway during rush hour and 95+% is with the climate control ON. My daily work commute is 34 mi round trip and I'm averaging about 42 mi/day after you knock off my first day 111 mi trek to get it home from Fontana. In the last week I've upped my freeway speed to between 66-68 mph (the LEAF mileage numbers above reflect this pace). I see it as too dangerous and taking too much of my driving attention to go slower. If you try to keep it at 62 to 63 mph or less you are mostly in the right hand lane with all the freeway get-on 'ers and get-off 'ers and ALWAYS watching your rear view mirror for who is about to plow into you... Forget it. The next lane to the left (usually the # 3 lane) is much safer. For that you have to go faster or be a road hazard and go slower.
So, there you have it. My initial cost calcs for the recent 5 day period. I'll give you an update in a week or so now that I have my log up and running.
Malcolm