Toyota: Electric 'too expensive'

if you make more, the price should/would/will come down, as long as you can keep the company from gouging the consumer, something too many companies like to do. GM, that car is nice but to get it to the people who REALLY need it, that price HAS to come DOWN! Mass production (remember Henry Ford??) SHOULD be able to knock it down to around $25,000 and THAT is a livable price.

Henry Ford didn't use 21st century technology. The Impala costs $25,000, using a gas motor. The battery technology is the largest cost factor in an electric car. $40,000 and never requiring a gas fill up isn't a bad price. $2.50/gallon x 15,000 miles per year / 30 mpg = $1,250 per year in gas in 10-12 years you have made your money back, and that's if gas doesn't go up.

I agree to a point Chevy Fan. But you know how the US works. If millions of people aren't buying gas as they are using Electric Cars, then the States and Government will raise taxes on the electricity to make up for the loss of tax dollars on gas, and then everyone ends up paying higher rates.

Factor in the cost of the electricity to charge a car and you might have to wait 16-17 years to make your money back on a car. That is if the cost of replacement batteries isn't ridiculously high.

eskymi wrote:

I agree to a point Chevy Fan. But you know how the US works. If millions of people aren't buying gas as they are using Electric Cars, then the States and Government will raise taxes on the electricity to make up for the loss of tax dollars on gas, and then everyone ends up paying higher rates.
Factor in the cost of the electricity to charge a car and you might have to wait 16-17 years to make your money back on a car. That is if the cost of replacement batteries isn't ridiculously high.

Sorry but I have to intervene here, you are way off in your electricity theory. The price of electricity will never ever come close to what the price of gasoline costs, not even close. You added 6-7 "years" frivolously, seemly just out of thin air. The price of equivalent electricity compared to gas is near 5-10 times LESS, a tax will not increase that by much, unless you are assuming the Government will make it impossible to even light your own house hold. Stop spreading untruths.

if you have to charge that electric battery,where are you going to charge it? Electricity of course and electric power is powered and or developed by what? COAL! so hows that saving the environment? how is anyone saving money? save on gas,pay higher electric rates as more electricity is used.
how about getting rid of the electric battery?
electric components?
in the end,those electric cars will be worse for the environs than gas cars will.

TOY O Ta is pure asian crap...Period

eric wrote:

if you have to charge that electric battery,where are you going to charge it? Electricity of course and electric power is powered and or developed by what? COAL! so hows that saving the environment? how is anyone saving money? save on gas,pay higher electric rates as more electricity is used.
how about getting rid of the electric battery?
electric components?
in the end,those electric cars will be worse for the environs than gas cars will.

See post #4.

eric wrote:

if you have to charge that electric battery,where are you going to charge it? Electricity of course and electric power is powered and or developed by what? COAL! so hows that saving the environment? how is anyone saving money? save on gas,pay higher electric rates as more electricity is used.
how about getting rid of the electric battery?
electric components?
in the end,those electric cars will be worse for the environs than gas cars will.

Many of the dirtiest coal plants are still cleaner, per kWh, than the same cars running around with their exhausts spreading all over the place. Plus, the coal emissions can be more readily captured/converted. I'm not sure about the mining aspect of it, however, though I believe there are advances being made in the technology to make it less damaging to the environment. The electric components also require toxic chemicals but, again, with proper controls that can also be contained & recycled.

As far as electric rates going up, you can bet on it. The government stands to lose a lot of money in road taxes if gasoline sales drop. I can imagine seeing special government-regulated meters set up which get read separately and have taxes added to the energy used from them. Bypassing such a meter would probably be treated like using home heating fuel in a diesel.