5 cents a gallon gas

Five to twenty five cents per gallon gas equivalent will be available in a few years according to C-SPAN2 talk last night (recorded) by James Woodsley, the CIA director 1993-95 and is now a member of some think tank. He said he now gets 60 mpg in town (Wash. D.C.) and upper 40's on the road in his stock Prius. He said plug-in Prii will be available in a few years with a 50-60 miles electric range. With electricity at 8 cents per KWH peak rate, the night non-peak rate is 4 cents when almost everyone would recharge the batteries in theirs' plug-in hybrids. At 4 cents per KWH this is equivalent to 5-15 cents per gallon at today prices. Electric companies supplying southern CA can presently supply juice to one million plug-ins hybrids if they are recharged at night. He said electric vehicles was a mistake and has no future. The additional electricity will be provided by nuclear power plants. He said the plug-in will kill the hydrogen vehicle and there will be bio-diesel and non-corn (grass, weeds leaves) ethanol vehicles in the future. He said crude will cost $100.00 per barrel this decade.

 

Yea, me too. The point James W. was making that electric companies have excess capacity at night and are willing to sell power at night at cheaper rates. Years ago, the electric company in VA was offering a device for electric hot water heaters that allowed current to the heater only at night. The user would get a break on their electric bill.
Same idea. The outlet for the plug-in hybrid would only be active at night and might have a separate meter.