Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics of Energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Road Walker who wrote (10857)	7/8/2009 10:38:07 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 86356

All numbers off the top of my head and just thinking out loud. Let's do some math... Presume you drive 10K per year.... If your car gets 20mpg, then you'll consume 500 gallons. At a price of $6/gallon, that's $3000 in annual fuel expenditures. At 50mpg, it's $1200 per year. At 100mpg, it's $600 per year. NOW... depending on what the actual cost of the replacement battery turns out to be (it could be lower due to greater production volume, or higher due to cost of raw materials), let's figure $20K as fair price. I set that price according to the recent Wired article I posted where replacement Li-Ion batteries were being priced at $20-30K each. So I drive my 20mpg car for 7 years and spend $3K x 7 = $21K I drive my 50mpg hybrid for 7 years and spend $8400 and now face spending $2K for a replacement battery. autobloggreen.com But Li-ion is going to cost me $4200 in fuel cost, then hit me with $20-30K in battery replacement costs. At $6/gallon, the Prius is the way to go... Batteries are cheaper, have a better track record and cycle rate. However, like Lithium, a major rare metal used in NiMH is almost exclusively mined in China. Single source for rare element is not a good idea. Hawk

To: Road Walker who wrote (10857)	7/8/2009 10:57:08 AM
From: RetiredNow	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 86356

Roadwalker, when Priuses first came out they cost $30K. Now you can get them in the low $20Ks. Economies of scale kicked in. EVs and PHEVs will come down in price with continued improvements in battery tech and with economies of scale. On this thread and the within the GOP, they assume that batteries will never improve and that economies of scale is a silly economic concept that has no bearing in the real world. That's the problem with their thinking. It's ossified.