I have long been blogging about electric vehicles (EVs) and their promise to get us off of fossil fuels for commuting and more. If you own or are considering an EV, why not tap into solar power for its fuel?
Owners of electric vehicles stand to save $60,000 in fuel costs, not to mention significant strides in reducing global warming and improving health. The EPA estimates that the average American drives 33 miles a day, which is about 12,ooo miles each year. With an average mpg (miles per gallon) rating of 23, you can estimate that an American car will use over 530 gallons of gasoline each year. Now, let’s factor in a cost of nearly $4 per gallon, and the overall cost is $2000-2500 annually, as of the date of this publication.
Beyond the fuel for combustion engine vehicles, the maintenance involved is expensive. The Automobile Association of America estimates that maintenance costs is about $540 per year, not including catastrophic failures, which can run much more. Overall, Americans spend about $250o each year on their vehicle.
If you go with an electric vehicle, maintenance is even lower: The motor is the only moving part, and it turns on a couple of unstressed life-time bearings: aside from tires and windshield wipers, it may never need maintenance. It is quieter (no engine or exhaust), smoother (no transmission), handles better (low centralized mass), is sporty (has immediate pedal response and makes its own energy when slowing), and because the brakes are only lightly used they may last forever.
When it comes to solar power for electric vehicles, it varies. The first mass-produced EV, the Nissan Leaf, received a government mileage rating of 2.9 miles per kilowatt-hour.
If you switch to solar power for electric vehicles, the cost of operation can be as low as 10 cents per kilowatt/hours, depending on the area in which you live. If your electricity cost is at the rate of 30 cents per kWh, the annual cost of recharging an EV (4000 kWh per year) will be about $1200, which is considerably less than if you used fossil fuel for your vehicle. Using a “time of use” plan (TOU), you can save even more. Recharge the battery of your EV during “off peak” hours of midnight to 7 a.m. and you can save more than 90% over the regular cost of gas and maintenance of a fuel combustion engine vehicle.
So, how can you save money and energy using PV panels to recharge electric vehicles? To start, PV (photovoltaic) solar panels are rapidly dropping in price, including government tax credits and rebates. Considering the fact that PV solar panels generate electricity during daylight, the annual generated value of 4000KWh costs about $800. Add in the fact that PV panels last up tp 25 years, the system will pay for itself!
Of course, switching to soalar power for electric vehicles is another step toward weaning ourselves off fossil fuels, the burning of which is leading to global climate change. EVs in general are catching on, with thousands of charging stations being installed and hundreds of thousands to come. Fast chargers allow EVs to charge in less than half an hour. Moreover, EVs can be as fast as any vehicle, and motors are more efficient as they grow more powerful.