Would you reduce your greenhouse gas emissions if it saved money?

Question

Internal combustion engine cars require 68% more fuel than an electric car to do the same work.

Internal Combustion Engine fuel to wheels 32.9 MJ/US gallon

Electric car fuel to wheels 2.8 MJ/kW-h

In terms of energy delivered to wheels, 1 US gallon = 11.9 kW-h

US average retail price gasoline $4.082/gallon 6/16/08

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_home_page.html

US average residential price electricity $0.102/kW-h Jan/08

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/tablees1a.html

US average cost of electricity per gallon equivalent $1.212

I would save $2038 per year. How much would you save per year by switching?

Answer 1

I did.  It has.

Not specifically by buying an electric car, I am still waiting for rental companies to offer electric cars.  The only problem, still, is that electric cars don't have adequate range and are slow to recharge.  I'm still waiting for the Aptera to enter full production.

Answer 2

I reduce my emissions because it's too darned expensive to keep wasting it!

Answer 3

Absolutely - I'd reduce my emissions even if it cost me money.  By getting a Prius and electric moped I've saved a lot on fuel costs though.

Gas prices around here are $4.50/gallon, so at around 50 mpg my Prius costs 9 cents per mile.  A 30 mpg car costs 15 cents per mile.  Driving around 10,000 miles per year, that's $600 savings per year on fuel with the Prius.

On top of that, my electric moped costs less than 1 cent per mile (though I'm about to upgrade to a more powerful one, so I'll call it 1 cent per mile).  30 miles commute per day, roughly 250 days per year = 7,500 miles.  So my moped (and bicycle) is saving an additional $1000+.

Overall electric technology is saving me over $1600 per year on fuel costs.  Not to mention greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and health benefits from biking.

Answer 4

Cost to purchase an electric car, given that you and billions of other panic-stricken tree huggers want one, about $150,000.

Now do some more math and realize how long it will take to break even, let alone save!

Also, don't even entertain the idea of a hybrid, because they use more petroleum fuel than a small, efficient diesel or petrol vehicle

Answer 5

I have already started saving money by reducing my emmissions.  By simply changing out my incadescent light bulbs with CFL's I have cut my overall electric bill in half.  I was able to further drop my bill by using the oven less and using the microwave more.  I also keep my house Temp around 66 F to reduce consumption during the winter, and I don't have an air conditioner.

As far as my vehicles, I don't have the money to upgrade to a hybrid or electric at this point, so the only thing I can do there right now is to reduce the amount I drive.  I do this by combining trips don't make a special trip to get just one item.  I usually stop on the way home from work.  

If the automotive industry would increase production on electric and hybrids to make them more available, the prices would go down.  At this point they are gone as soon as they get to the lot, and the waiting lists are too long.  I think this may be part of their marketing strategy to ensure the gas and diesel models still continue to sell and to keep big oil in business.

With the price of a new car right now, it would take me over 10 years to start seeing a cost savings by switching (both my cars are already paid off.)  I want to upgrade, but I can't afford it.  A car payment is more than my current fuel bill.

Answer 6

of course.

doing the right thing, and getting paid for it?

I don't know,  i may need a while to think about this.

i've already test driven a couple hybrid cars.

clearly the prius technology is the best i've seen.

i'd thought that the current internal combustian engine was pretty good.

obviously not.

i've wondered why the turbine engine failed.

it would seem to be considerably better.

and, it may be time to reconsider it.

i am surprised that with all of the transmission losses, that plug in electric is still better.

i'll be more than happy to grant that a static generation plant can be considerably more efficient than a car engine.

but i'd thought that enough would be lost in distribution that it wouldn't still be noticeably better than a hybrid.

i do have a problem with pure electric.

it's just not easy to pour a bunch of electricity into the tank.

so for longer trips, there is a problem.

i rather expect the price of gasoline to continue to increase, as will the cost of electricity, since they both use oil, however, with the increase, then any alternatives at all will become more attractive.

btw, i have a 92 accord.  after 250k miles it's lost 75% of it's value.

i also have a 93 odyssey.  after 80k miles it's lost 60% of it's value.  i have to think that much of that has to do with the mileage, and the price of gasoline.

i was thinking of trading it in, but since the value is so low, and occasionally it's really nice to have the extra space, i guess not.

at the gas station, i can just hear the money running down the filler tube.  :-(

Edit:  <<Cost to purchase an electric car, given that you and billions of other panic-stricken tree huggers want one, about $150,000.>>

my oh my.  if that's true, i guess a prius must cost $160,000, since it's an electric car that also has the engine.  take out the engine, and it's an electric car.

if i had to guess, the optimum today might well be a plug-in diesel hybrid.  i say "today" because we see more and more applications for turbines, and it may not be too far off that they're ready for car applications again.  i wonder if the problem with then was the inertia of the spinning shaft during some kind of sharp turn, or an accident.  that might well be a problem.

EDIT again:  <<I can get paid if I cut down on the farting and breathing?  How much per breath or f**t?  >>

hey, $1 a minute.  10 minutes minimum.  consecutive, of course.  :-)

Answer 7

I can get paid if I cut down on the farting and breathing?

How much per breath or f**t?

Answer 8

ofcourse yes!