Todays belch..

so, nothing to report today. I am still waiting on April to get my hands on the 2014 Accord! I am saving ferociously to get the money I need for the down-payment. Not just any down-payment, but the kind that could buy any other car in-cash! Mainly because this Accord PHEV is well-worth the premium! Why? Well, because I have calculated that I could drive to and from work in all electric mode, and never use a drop of gas! This means that with only going to see Brandy's parents just once a week (on the weekends) that I will fill up once every four months!! This I have calculated to be a MASSIVE savings!

Look at it like this:

Currently my 2006 Accord EX V6

29MPG HWY

23MPG City (my actual MPG 21MPG):-/ only because there was considerable stop and go traffic frequently and city driving. Many of the miles are highway miles, so while it isn't hard on the car, it is hard on fuel economy.

Currently I fill up once a week:

$50*1 fill up/wk*4 weeks=$200/month & $2600/Yr

Before I moved here: $50.*4 fill ups/wk*4weeks=$800/month & $10,400/yr!!

Actual 2012 fuel costs was upwards passed $12,000!

@21MPG combined, and a little bit around 40,000 miles for the year.

I was driving around 2K miles a month' most months, the rest was the miles driven to and from long distance business trips. Roughly what this all works out to is 769.23 miles/wk. While the math here doesn't add up directly, since this is a fluctuation and there is a considerable amount less of driving that I will be doing since I have acquired my new place of residence.

So if we figure in what I am currently driving and can work this into the equation of how much better of an investment this will be for me, then I can justify the premium. Many believe that the premium isn't worth it, and rightly so I can say that a PHEV is the better choice.

So, I drive 12 miles to work and 12 miles back in under 60MPH traffic. This enables me also (since Houston is all flat surface driving) to drive in all EV mode to work, charge up in any of the many charging stations surrounding the Medical Center, and drive home in all EV mode! Using 0 gas, 0 emissions, means I am one more 100% clean driver and 100% less emissions from 1 more Texas citizen!

So to calculate:

12 miles in all EV to and from work 12 miles to and 12 miles from=24 miles round trip and 0 emissions and 0 fuel used for 5 days a week!

So, also since Honda's Accord PHEV is also rated SULEV20 and a TZEV, also means that I will have the ONLY car in the world to meet California's new less than 20 milligrams law that will be enforced in the coming years.

So when even when I go see my wifes parents, I can use all EV until I get on the freeway which is 90% of our commute, and switch to all EV on the winding roads to their house. Charge up fully when I arrive there, and leave in all EV until I get to the freeway. Drive in hybrid mode on the freeway 46MPG/105MPGe and then switch to all EV when I get off the freeway to home.

26.3 miles (according to Google Maps) to their house on the freeway only, and from their house freeway only. All the rest is all EV! 12.5 miles in all EV mode, and since these speeds are very low, I should be able to stretch the EV range! :-D

So! 26.3 miles one-way= 52.6 miles which means it will take 12 round trip visits to use one whole tank of fuel! Which = 12 weekends which = 3 months on one tank of fuel! And, I would be more than willing to bet that I could stretch that even further!

So what does that mean for me now? Well, let's examine my current fuel annual costs according to where I live now, and the commute to and from her parents, and since this is all gas, the entire trip.

29MPG Hwy of 52.6 & 21MPG city driving for 24.4 miles

1 gal for the city driving, and 1 gal for the hwy driving.

2 gals. total/17=8.5 total trips. However, since this same fuel is used to drive me to and from work, that number is drastically decreased. 24 miles round trip all gas city driving = 1.5 gal/day*/- x5 days for work, 2.5 gals.+/- /weekend visit which also should include errands that could otherwise be done in all EV mode with a PHEV.

Work week = 1.5 gallons

weekends = 2.5 gallons

Total weekly fuel consumption = 17.5+/- gallons/wk

Total tank capacity 17 gals (although when I am low on fuel it always fills only 14 gallons, but the manufacturer tank capacity is 17 gals.

Total weekly fuel costs (in today's fuel costs) = $50/wk x 4 wks = $200/month!

$3.25x15.25 gals/fill up = $50 +/- (this is my average fill up gallons)

Total yearly fuel costs: $2600/yr!

Accord PHEV

Work week = 0 fuel

Weekends = >1 gal. +/-

Total weekly fuel consumption = 1 gal. +/-

Total tank capacity 12.2 gals

Total weekly fuel costs = $0/wk x 4 wks = $0/month for three months! (all errands and other such things can be done in all EV mode, yielding 0 fuel consumption.

$3.25x10 gals/fill up = $32.50 +/- (based on the average of the current car of 2 gals +/- less of the total tank capacity.

Total yearly fuel costs: $130

Total PHEV savings /yr: -$2,470/yr back in my savings account!

Total five year fuel costs, (based on average time of 60 months to pay off a car, and assuming you will trade-in or purchase a newer car after this time)

Total five year fuel costs current car: $13,000!

Total Five year fuel costs Accord PHEV: $650

Total savings for five years : -$12,350

current car MSRP @ new: $31,000 +/-

Five year fuel costs: $13,000

Accord PHEV MSRP @ new: $40,570 - $3,334 Fed. Tax incentive = $37,236 (and even less if your state provides PHEV incentives also!)

Five year fuel costs: $ $650

Current car with fuel costs: $31,000 + $13,000 = $44,000

Accord PHEV with fuel costs: $37,236 + $650 = $37,886 - now subtract the fuel savings from this total and you shall see the premium benefits!

Total PHEV with fuel costs: $37,886 - fuel savings: -$12,350 = $25,536!!

So according to my calculations with my situations, and with my current car, I will be saving a TON!

Let me further this by including my intended down payment, after my savings and selling my car and paying off the remaining loan balance and what the actual costs will be for me to purchase this Accord PHEV over 5 years (without interest included).

Accord PHEV: $37,236

Down payment: $20,000

Actual loan amount: $17,236

Actual cost of car with fuel savings after five years: $24,886 ($37236 - $12,350) After down payment and five years with fuel savings, total loan amount: $4,886, this will be my actual costs to purchase this brand new Accord PHEV for loan payments.

How is this possible? Well, as you see, you figure in the total MSRP ($40,570) less the fed income savings ($3,334), less the down payment ($20,000), less the savings in fuel for five years($12,350).

Total Cost of loan after five years: $4,886

Still think the Accord PHEV premium or any other PHEV isn't worth it?

While there are those who like the Chevy Volt, which obviously borrowed its design from the Civic.

I cannot with an honest mind and heart recommend a vehicle from a company known for its unreliable cars, and thus went bankrupt as a result to this fact. To further my point here, let me ask this question. Would you pay $40,000 for a Chevy Cavalier/Cobalt/Cruze? Well, that is exactly what the Volt is! It is a dressed up Chevy Cavalier/Cobalt/Cruze engine, with an electric motor attached. Borrowed front fascia from Honda Civic, but alas it doesn't borrow the Civics much more superior reliability.

A review on the Volt would take to another post, and since I never recommend, nor will I ever recommend, any form of vehicle from the "big three", that may have to wait...