Is PG&E's "EV Savings" misleading, or am I missing something?

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jhs

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Hi,
Posting for the first time as a potential EV owner wondering how much it will REALLY cost to charge at home.
Our power company here in N. California is PG&E, and they have a EV Savings tool that allows calculation of charging costs and comparing to ICE fuel costs.

As an example, I can say I will drive 10,000 miles per year and will choose a VW ID.4, which is listed as using 34 kWh/100 miles. The tool says if I use the "EV2-A" electricity rate, I will pay $617 for home charging.

Using these numbers, it seems like I will use 3,400 kWh per year for charging.
The electricity rate according to these numbers: $617 / 3,400 kWh = $0.181 per kWh

However, the EV2-A information on the PG&E tariff page shows that the minimum electricity rate is $0.245 per kWh.

So I don't know if I am missing something, or if this tool is using old numbers or what.

Can anyone using PG&E say what they are actually paying? What is right?

Thanks much.
 
Former PG&E customer here (for the record, I don't miss them AT ALL). Your actual rate will depend on your billing plan. If you're on a time-of-use plan (which I vaguely remember they're trying to push everyone onto), the rate varies based on the hour of the day, with highest rates during peak electricity use hours. I would look at you're actual bill to see what you're paying in the real world. If you're not on a time-of-use plan, consider whether you might want to switch.

FWIW, when I did my own calculation shortly after getting my EV, well prior to the recent run-up in gas prices, I found that charging my car at home was at least 1/3 less than what I'd pay for a comparable amount of gas. what
 
I would go with the schedule rate and not the calculator. Note that in the fine print, they say the calculator may not be accurate.

This rate comparison is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute a representation or recommendation by PG&E as to what rate is best for you. PG&E cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the estimated cost information. PG&E expressly disclaims any and all liability for any damages of any nature (including direct, indirect, incidental and consequential) arising in connection with the use of the estimated rate comparison. This rate comparison depicts usage charges based on available interval data. It may not include all fees such as local taxes or surcharges.
 
The irony is peak wind and solar power happens concurrent with peak PG&E electric rates. The 'profit' gap is what is between the source and user.

Bob Wilson
 
Thanks for all of the comments. Of course, the legal disclaimers say the tool doesn't need to be accurate, but I find it misleading that a cheaper $/kWh value is being presented when it would be "easy" for it to be made accurate. I am going to be cynical and suggest that PG&G is advocating for more use of electricity and biasing the analysis to the benefit of EVs. (Even the accurate rate would prove favorable in ICE vs. EV calculations, but it really rubs me wrong.)

Our alternative to PG&E, Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), also has an EV tool on their site which seems to use the same ~$0.18 per kWh rate. This makes me wonder if PG&E is piggybacking the same EV tool (ZappyRide) as SVCE.
 
Don’t forget when you do your math you need to add in 15-20% more kwh for “overhead” losses in the charging system (others can explain that better). Still way cheaper than gas, but you’ll be buying a bit more electricity than 34 kwh for your 100 miles (if that turns out to be your actual number for what the car used).
 
Just had a reply from Silicon Valley Clean Energy that the rate used in the tool is an average of the summer and winter rates as of May 2021. They will eventually update with the current rates as of March 2022.
 
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