DOE eGallon proves plug-in vehicles can drive for just $1.14 a gallon
 

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, MPG, USA

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It's true that electric vehicles cost more than gas-powered ones (except, of course, when they don't), but the running costs are dramatically lower. How much lower? To answer that question, the Department of Energy would like to introduce you to the eGallon.

Defined as "the cost of fueling a vehicle with electricity compared to a similar vehicle that runs on gasoline," an eGallon is the DOE's new term for easily seeing how much you'll save filling up on electrons instead of gasoline. If you like using GasBuddy or MapQuest to find the lowest local price, you just might love the eGallon. After all, the national eGallon average today is just $1.14 - way under any gallon of gas you can find in the US.

Sadly, the eGallon calculator is just a rough average. You can't put in your own electricity rates, gas prices or your car's energy efficiency level. What you can do is plug in your state and see how the average gas price there compares to the average electricity price for an eGallon.

If you dig into the methodology (available in this PDF), you'll see the assumptions working in the background include 28.2 average miles per gallon, 35 average kWh per 100 miles and 12.33 cents per kWh. The eGallon calculator will be updated monthly with numbers from Energy Information Administration. This is good, because the current calculator is using a $3.42 nationwide gas price average from last December.Continue reading DOE eGallon proves plug-in vehicles can drive for just $1.14 a gallon

DOE eGallon proves plug-in vehicles can drive for just $1.14 a gallon originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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