Comparing DCFC costs to gas prices

[GatorGrowl]

I’ve been wondering just how much we save on energy costs when DC Fast Charging. It can cost up to 3x as much per kWh. I decided to compare to how much I’d spend on gas in an ICE equivalent.

For the ICE benchmark, I used the Ford Edge with an MPG of 25 combined.

I had driven 141 miles since my last charge, which consumed 42 kWh at the charger. The same distance at 25mpg would consume 5.64 gallons of gasoline.

I divided the cost of charging at various networks near me by the number of gallons to get a Cost per Gallon equivalent.

Here is what I found:
42 kWh at home (0.18/kWh) = $7.52
42 kWh public DCFC:
FPL (0.30/kWh): $12.60
ChargeUp (0.35/kWh+0.55+5%): $16.01
EA (0.48/kwh): $20.16
EVGo (0.57/kWh+$1): $24.95

Price per gallon (equivalent):
Home: $1.33/gal
FPL: $2.23/gal
ChargeUp: $2.83/gal
EA: $3.58/gal
EVGo: $4.42/gal

Assuming Tesla charging will cost the same as Magic Dock stations, those seem to be priced similar to EA.

I realize you can save 20% or more if you buy a membership, but for us who rarely charge away from home it seems quite pricy.

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[Otto klub]

Maybe use your 141 miles and convert to cost per mile using the different chargers.
It seems very few look at cost per mile.

 

[MoonRiver]

Maybe use your 141 miles and convert to cost per mile using the different chargers.
It seems very few look at cost per mile.

I would calculate this way

 

[AKgrampy]

The issue is it depends what is your price of gas, price of DCFC, and mpg of the car you drive. The comparison is going to vary from vehicle to vehicle and place to place but my sense hs always been DCFC is the same or more expensive than gas in most cases. Especially now that it appears that DCFC is going to real time pricing.

 

[RickMachE]

In short (which has been discussed repeatedly):

With gas at current prices, and a vehicle that got 25mpg, the cost for DC fast charging is roughly the same as gas.

HOWEVER, as noted, you leave home with a full battery from a lower cost, and on the road you charge for free at hotels (although getting harder to find that), or public chargers supplied by states / towns, or relatives.

On a long trip (4,700 miles), 36% (if memory serves me) was free.
On a shorter trip (2,900 miles), about 20% was free.

That lowers the overall cost.

 

[GatorGrowl]

It still seems to me that DCFC providers are overcharging.

 

[RickMachE]

It still seems to me that DCFC providers are overcharging.

Based on what? Do you know what their cost of electricity is? Do you know what they're paying for rent for their locations?

When one company charges $0.64 per kilowatt and another company is charging $0.48, is the first company overcharging, or is the second company undercharging to win business?

 

[GatorGrowl]

In Florida, industrial power costs about 0.12 per kWh. (Source: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a)

 

[timbop]

In Florida, industrial power costs about 0.12 per kWh. (Source: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a)

The problem is that the utilities are allowed to pad the bill with "demand charges" for sudden peaks - which is what DCFC generally does: it's either drawing a trickle or > 120kw. Some DCFC have begun adding batteries to smooth out the demand, but those add costs also.

The charging companies aren't really making money yet; what it comes down to is that the demand charges and long periods of being idle are killing them.

 

[luckie]

… And Installing and maintaining a DCFC station costs = ?

 

[AliRafiee]

I’m glad I don’t have to use a DCFC. I pay $40 a month to charge my car at home compared to $300+ for my Mustang GT.

 

[RobbertPatrison]

The current low gas prices and high DCFC rates could make operating MME as expensive as a gas guzzler. This table helps to quickly determine the 'penalty' for charging DCFC. It shows how equivalent MPG depends on the price of gasoline and your electric rate. At the current US national averages of $3/gallon and $0.18/kWh, the Mach-e is equivalent to a 46MPG car (similar to a Carmy Hybrid). If you live in Texas ($2.7/gallon) and charge at a public DCFC charger for $0.5/kWh the equivalent is a dismal 15 MPG. If you are in Washington state ($4/gallon, $0.13/kWh) the MME drives as cheap as an 86 MPG car. The values are for the AWD extended range MME. The RWD is slightly better, while the GT and in winter will see worse numbers.

 

[leehinde]

The current low gas prices and high DCFC rates could make operating MME as expensive as a gas guzzler. This table helps to quickly determine the 'penalty' for charging DCFC.

That's true only if all you do is use DCFC. Which I'm guessing a statistically insignificant number of us do. Most of us charge at home and (unless you're stuck with PG&E, et. al.) we're paying much less than gas.

And, as I note, this all regional. You really can't make any blanket statement. As my attempt at a blanket statement demonstrates.

 

[AKgrampy]

The problem is that the utilities are allowed to pad the bill with "demand charges" for sudden peaks - which is what DCFC generally does: it's either drawing a trickle or > 120kw. Some DCFC have begun adding batteries to smooth out the demand, but those add costs also.

The charging companies aren't really making money yet; what it comes down to is that the demand charges and long periods of being idle are killing them.

Just a pet peeve of mine but utilities do not “pad” the bill. If a commercial account has a 70 - 75% load factor the demand charge will equate to the same rate as residential costs, if the load factor is greater their effective rate is lower. I know I, and I would think you too, would expect the entity responsible for the electrical costs to cover them. For commercial loads a demand charge has been developed to allow utilities to recover their costs and not pass them on to the rest of the customer base. DCFC chargers unfortunately have low load factors.

 

[Hammered]

Just a pet peeve of mine but utilities do not “pad” the bill. If a commercial account has a 70 - 75% load factor the demand charge will equate to the same rate as residential costs, if the load factor is greater their effective rate is lower. I know I, and I would think you too, would expect the entity responsible for the electrical costs to cover them. For commercial loads a demand charge has been developed to allow utilities to recover their costs and not pass them on to the rest of the customer base. DCFC chargers unfortunately have low load factors.

Utilities are notorious for cramming bills. There's a solid 4 nonsense fees on mine so they can claim their rates are lower than they actually are. The nonsense fees increase actual cost ~25%

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