The true cost of coal powered electric cars
From
Bj�rn Lomborg writing at Anthony's:
Lomborg: Californians are paying ridiculous subsidies for electric cars
I�ve said electric cars get subsidized too much. Turns out I was wrong.
In California, they are subsidized ridiculously too much.
Tesla gets $45,000 for each car it sells in state and federal subsidies. The Tesla S starts at $69,000, so about 40% of its total cost is subsidies (Tesla isn�t making any big profits).
This is because the California Air Resources Board has mandated that zero emission vehicles should comprise 15% of new-car sales by 2025 � up from less than 1% now. This forces other car companies that can�t comply to pay for credits from Tesla.
�At the end of the day, other carmakers are subsidizing Tesla,� says one analyst.
Remember, the Tesla avoids perhaps 10 tons of CO2 (more likely, with its large battery pack it avoids nothing or even *increases* total CO2 emissions). That means Americans pay at least $5,000 per ton of CO2 avoided � about a thousand times more than the price in the European Trading System.
It also avoids local air pollution (which is presumably the Air Resources Board�s objective), but over the entire lifetime of the car, this is worth around $500.
More at the site including links to corroborating data. The CARB is a perfect example of a bureaucracy that has overstepped it's original charter. The L.A. smog is no more, cars run a lot cleaner. You did an excellent job but now it is time to close up shop and go home.
Posted by DaveH at May 12, 2013 12:07 PM