OK, 'tis true that maintenance costs on an ICE can be very significant.
I love our new MiEV, but still come out with an analysis that economically over the next 10 years we'd likely come out lower cost per mile keeping our fully paid for 2005 low miles (80,000 on it) Toyota Corolla. That is, unless gasoline -- "petrol" for our UK cousins
-- goes up to about $7 per gallon OR replacement battery costs go dramatically down from current official Mitsu pricing.
And remember we each had a big upfront investment of a bundle of cash (the price difference between buying, say, a base model Honda Fit or Nissan Versa new and a new MiEV -- let alone a costly Leaf, that rightly should be spread forward as part of out cost per mile.
I used a base model Honda Fit or Nissan Versa as in my view they are comparable in size, arguably possibly even richer in features, certainly have more power and of course better range than a MiEV or a LEAF.
I seriously doubt AAA's figure of 4.97 cents per mile on average for maintenance costs on an ICE is realistic for any of us here (I bet many of us are "change my own oil and spark plugs, and don't take the ICE in to the dealer and pay them $300 for some arbitrary "official 30,000 mile service.)
I know I've not spent anywhere close to that on the 2004 Toyota we just gave to our grandson, or even on our 2001 Subaru Forester. And watch out for their word "average."
In the preface to my statistics text book in college it said something like this:
"When using the techniques of statistical analysis, always remember the story of the statistician who drowned attempting to wade across a creek that had an average depth of only 10 centimeters."
Problem with the miles per kilowatt hour cost analysis without adding our hidden elephant-in-the-room uncertain large lump sum maintenance cost (the "someday either battery replacement cost of huge depreciation hit on selling a 10 year old car with maybe only 40-mile range with by-then-obsolete-battery technology") may be kidding ourselves.
So IMO in truth we can't know our cost to drive our Eva’s per mile or kilometer is or how it compares to owning a "comparable" ICE until we see what future costs of gasoline are (and to a less extent future costs of electricity which will go up) and battery replacement costs/depreciation.
That all said, I have several factors that counter my less than optimistic analysis of this:
# It’s FUN to drive.
# It’s voting with our dollars for a better way of doing things than ICE transport
# It does reduce our dependence on overseas oil.
# It is likely on net somewhat reducing global warming.
# Because we have 30 solar panels our EV is even a bit closer to true zero emission and we’re protected against rises in costs of electricity.
# I feel like I’ve so-to-speak “purchased insurance against having to deal with $8/gallon prices showing up at the pumps in the next decade.”
# I feel like I’ve purchased insurance against dealing with long long lines or rationing at the gas pumps in the next decade or two.
(I don’t consider these last two unlikely possibilities. Nor, if either happens the reality that at that time prices of EVs would shoot up dramatically and there would be huge waiting lists of buyers.)
Alex
