Hybrid cars & electricity consumption

[grantza]

I was wondering just how much electricity is consumed by these cars on a monthly basis. (in terms of charging)

I was at a building in which i own an apartment and noticed there are 3 hybrid cars.
I assume the cars get charged in the garage of their respective owners.
However back in the day when the building was constructed, power points were installed in all garages in order to supply power for occasional use - not to charge and power motor cars.
Unfortunately, power for the garages is supplied as part of power for common property, & not billed to the respective owners.

So it would appear that the owners of the hybrid cars are getting a "free ride" at the expense of the body corporate.

Anyone have experience on this issue ?

[HapticSimian]

I was wondering just how much electricity is consumed by these cars on a monthly basis. (in terms of charging)

I was at a building in which i own an apartment and noticed there are 3 hybrid cars.
I assume the cars get charged in the garage of their respective owners.
However back in the day when the building was constructed, power points were installed in all garages in order to supply power for occasional use - not to charge and power motor cars.
Unfortunately, power for the garages is supplied as part of power for common property, & not billed to the respective owners.

So it would appear that the owners of the hybrid cars are getting a "free ride" at the expense of the body corporate.

Anyone have experience on this issue ?

I don't think this is something you need to worry about just yet - the few hybrids on sale locally, to my knowledge, aren't of the plug-in variety.

*edit*

There's probably no better time than the present to see to it that some guidelines find their way into the complex's rules and regulations though.

[Dolby]

Afaik, the hybrids at the moment have a huge battery and an engine - and they regenerate power for the battery with the motion of the wheels when coasting (or something like that)

[grantza]

Ah. That clarifies that one. Thanx.
But yes. Probably time to look at a future policy.

[HavocXphere]

I would recommend talking to the body corp directors. Hybrids can and do use vast amounts of electricity.

Dolby has hybrids confused with cars that have regenerative braking (except for the coasting part not sure where he got that from ). Most hybrids *also* have regenerative braking, but a negligible amount of the energy comes from that. Its either via the petrol engine (engine > alternator > battery) or via the wall socket & I don't think those guys bought hybrids to charge via petrol engine...

They are screwing over the body corp with 90% certainty.

[Dolby]

Dolby has hybrids confused with cars that have regenerative braking ... Most hybrids *also* have regenerative braking

That doesn't make sense?

[TKD01]

I'm not aware of any "plug-in" type hybrids available in SA? The ones you see on the road like Prius, Honda CRZ etc has a petrol engine which charges the battery - so it uses petrol, not electricity.
The Nissan Leaf is an example of a plug-in full electric vehicle but I don't think it will be available in SA anytime soon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf

[Quantum Theory]

I would recommend talking to the body corp directors. Hybrids can and do use vast amounts of electricity.

Dolby has hybrids confused with cars that have regenerative braking (except for the coasting part not sure where he got that from ). Most hybrids *also* have regenerative braking, but a negligible amount of the energy comes from that. Its either via the petrol engine (engine > alternator > battery) or via the wall socket & I don't think those guys bought hybrids to charge via petrol engine...

They are screwing over the body corp with 90% certainty.

We don't get the Prius PHV here, or any of the other plug-in hybrids like the Fisker, Chevy Volt and Ford Fusion... So they are actually using those petrol engines