The Price at the Pump for Charging Electric Cars

Written by Sophia Schmidt

With the introduction of several decently priced electric cars and electric trucks in 2010, mainstream consumers will become interested in understanding what they are getting on a mpg (miles per gallon) basis. They'll want to equate the price to charge their car's batteries with the equivalent price of a gallon of gas.

Only makes sense that consumers will want to find a way to get an apples to apples comparison for their new electric car, right? GM has announced that it expects to have smart charging available when the Chevy Volt hits the streets in late 2010. In conjunction with GM's online OnStar service, the smart charging is designed to allow consumers to take advantage of the best electricity rates in their area.

Smart charging is seen as an important conduit to widespread use of plug-in electric vehicles. Although there aren't yet large numbers of mass-produced plug-in electric cars, several companies are already working on and testing grid-to-vehicle software. The software can do two things- first, it can speed up or slow down car battery charge times for electric vehicles and provide information to utilities to help manage fluctuations in load and, second, it can help consumers understand how to fuel their vehicles most cost effectively.

Because electric cars will weigh heavily on the US and European power grids, one of the most interesting byproducts coming from the introduction of more electric car models on the road is the attention that the demand for electricity is now causing in the marketplace. In certain areas of the US, for example, wind or solar power will be the most cost effective approach to charging the car. Taking advantage of the proximity to wind power at sea, Denmark is promoting to its citizens to charge their electric vehicles while they're sleeping.

In the US, several commercial projects are underway to make renewable energy less expensive, as it is efficiently incorporated into the electric grid infrastructure. Google has invested $45 million in outside companies, including start-ups in concentrating solar power, capturing energy from high-altitude wind, and enhanced geothermal systems.

With the national average for a gallon of gas near $2.65, it costs about 11 cents per mile to drive a gas powered car, assuming 25 miles per gallon efficiency. On average, an electric car costs between 2 and 3 cents per mile.

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