Had a weird thought about Teslas and value today.
Since our power prices are fairly fixed and from hydroelectric, any time gas prices increase, the value of my car goes up. For every $1 gas prices go up, I save about $2600 over the next 5 years (15000 miles / 28 MPH * 5 years * $1). This isn't the amount I save versus an ICE vehicle, it's the additional savings due to rising gas prices. Average price of gas is about $2.50 higher than it was when I bought my car.
Another way of putting it. If I'd bought an ICE vehicle, my operating costs would have increased by $1340/ year. If gas prices stay this high, that's a $6,700 increase in operating expenses.
I know a lot of regions energy prices are on the rise so it's likely in some areas (Northern California has seen some pretty big rate spikes), but I don't think energy prices have risen as much as gas prices even in those areas.
Recently I stayed at a friends home and they had Tesla solar (they love it). The biggest reason they bought it is because in NorCal PG&E shuts off power for days at a time to prevent fires and their block is one of the first off and last back on. But as a side-effect, their cost of power is more-or-less fixed while PG&E's rates swing all over the place. As fuel prices creep up, folks like them have a massive incentive to switch to EVs as the incremental cost of powering a car is near zero.
Rising energy rates also increases the appeal of home solar significantly.
I know... preaching to the choir here. The recent rate shifts just got me thinking about how much more aware people—not just Tesla people, everyone—are becoming of the impact of fuel and energy cost increases in their lives. Tesla is well positioned to benefit from what seems to the perfect storm. Even if their competition had offerings which were as good, nobody else is ready to service the flood of demand as the cost of their existing vehicle keeps going up.
Since our power prices are fairly fixed and from hydroelectric, any time gas prices increase, the value of my car goes up. For every $1 gas prices go up, I save about $2600 over the next 5 years (15000 miles / 28 MPH * 5 years * $1). This isn't the amount I save versus an ICE vehicle, it's the additional savings due to rising gas prices. Average price of gas is about $2.50 higher than it was when I bought my car.
Another way of putting it. If I'd bought an ICE vehicle, my operating costs would have increased by $1340/ year. If gas prices stay this high, that's a $6,700 increase in operating expenses.
I know a lot of regions energy prices are on the rise so it's likely in some areas (Northern California has seen some pretty big rate spikes), but I don't think energy prices have risen as much as gas prices even in those areas.
Recently I stayed at a friends home and they had Tesla solar (they love it). The biggest reason they bought it is because in NorCal PG&E shuts off power for days at a time to prevent fires and their block is one of the first off and last back on. But as a side-effect, their cost of power is more-or-less fixed while PG&E's rates swing all over the place. As fuel prices creep up, folks like them have a massive incentive to switch to EVs as the incremental cost of powering a car is near zero.
Rising energy rates also increases the appeal of home solar significantly.
I know... preaching to the choir here. The recent rate shifts just got me thinking about how much more aware people—not just Tesla people, everyone—are becoming of the impact of fuel and energy cost increases in their lives. Tesla is well positioned to benefit from what seems to the perfect storm. Even if their competition had offerings which were as good, nobody else is ready to service the flood of demand as the cost of their existing vehicle keeps going up.