Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA), General Motors Company (GM) – Pump vs. Plug: The True Cost of Electric Vehicles

Beyond the pump
Critics will argue that pump prices aren’t the only costs – and they’re right. Beyond the purchase price premium, electric vehicles can be more expensive in many ways. For starters, electric batteries don’t last forever. Chevy’s Volt comes with an eight-year warranty, and replacements currently clock in around $4,500. If you need a quick charge for your Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) vehicle and can’t make it to one of the automakers’ eight “supercharger” stations, go ahead and tack on $1,200 for a faster-charging home kit.

But battery technology is rapidly improving, and a new power pack eight years from now may provide magnitudes more of power at a fraction of the cost. Likewise, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) has big plans for powering its rapidly growing fleet of vehicles. The electric-auto maker is tripling its stations this summer, with a whopping 200 planned for 2015.

Source: Teslamotors.com

Is gas a goner?
Gasoline isn’t going anywhere. But for the first time, consumers have a concrete comparison point for their daily commute. eGallon is exactly what America needs to put things in perspective, allowing drivers everywhere to now make more data-driven decisions on their next vehicle purchase.

The article Pump vs. Plug: The True Cost of Electric Vehicles originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Justin Loiseau.

Fool contributor Justin Loiseau owns shares of Tesla Motors and lives in New Zealand, where gas is $7.50 per gallon. You can follow him on Twitter, @TMFJLo, and on Motley Fool CAPS, @TMFJLo.The Motley Fool recommends Ford, General Motors, and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford and Tesla Motors.

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