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Comment by fragmede | Hacker News Reader

At this rate, the cost of electricity in SF is going to rival the cost of gasoline for an EV. That's already the case in some places in Europe.

In SF, gasoline is roughly at $5/gallon. If your ICE car gets 31 mpg but your electricity works out to be $0.70/kWh on an EV that gets 4.2 mi/kWh (eg Tesla Model 3), you're ever so slightly better off choosing an ICE vehicle vs an EV in a strictly financial sense in that case, according to chooseev's calculator*.

* https://chooseev.com/savings-calculator/

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Yes, Model 3 charging works out about the same sa fuelling a Prius C.

One would think solar is the answer given such price per kWh. PG&E have lobbied for NEM3 and got it, to make rooftop solar less viable, look that up!

"there's nothing wrong with lobbying, its just how corporations participate in democracy"

i have seen this argument made and anyone who holds that opinion should look at this comment, and have a long hard think as to whether they still think that's a good thing

The cost of gas has come down in the city - around $4.30/gal for where I fill up. So yes, it’s actually cheaper to drive an ICE than an EV in SF.

In Florida FPL has an unlimited non peak hours EV charging plan for around $30 a month. Imagine your bill for driving each month never exceeding $30.

https://www.fpl.com/electric-vehicles/evolution/home.html

Where in Europe is gasoline only $5/gallon, or do you mean their local rate for gasoline?

I was surprised recently when BC’s gas prices were about the same as WA’s, it’s almost always been more expensive in my lifetime.

edited my comment to say that SF gas prices are $5. It was two separate thoughts. The broader point is that gasoline vs electricity is energy either way, and the cost of different kinds of energy aren't always going to favor electricity in San Francisco in the near future, it seems.

One thing to consider is energy independence. It’s maybe more relevant in Asia and Europe, but not having your cars depend on imports is a huge win if you can manage it. For CA, the whole PG&E thing is a mess, I’m in the PNW and my EV is insignificant to fill while our gas prices best CA.

I have a Rivian. It's equivalent to 16.7 mpg given its mi/kWh, and electricity and gasoline costs.

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