Vehicles estimated operating costs

Table 1.4. Vehicle price and efficiency assumptions and estimated operating costs.

For the case of the least expensive hydrogen production option (coal gasification) with pipeline transportation, the HjHybrid vehicle is the least expensive hydrogen vehicle to operate overall (0.54 /mile) and is competitive with today s ICE vehicles (0.55 /mile). A FCV, with a base efficiency 2.5 times a comparably sized ICE vehicle and costing 4100 more, has an estimated operating cost of 0.62-0.70 /mile, at least seven cents higher than the ICE vehicle. Hybrids already are competitive with ICE vehicles. The electric vehicle and the 2020 FCV with onboard reformation have the highest end-use costs due to battery costs for the electric vehicle and the onboard reformer cost for the FCV, which adds almost 4000 to the vehicle cost. 

Recall that an exemplary benefit-cost analysis of mandatory passive restraints should reflect changes in the chances of survival in accidents and any changes in the chances of accidents. The analysis should reflect costs of installation of equipment and any increases m operation costs borne by vehicle users. The general problem with the studies reviewed is that they have taken a technological approach to traffic safety. An individual net benefit approach, which is consistent with the exemplary sodal benefit-cost analysis, suggests two critical areas of inadequaqr. The studies fail to incorporate estimates of changes in chances of accidents due to motorist response and user costs of passive safety belts associated with discomfort and inconvenience. 

A key factor in obtaining binding support for aquaculture is development of a sound business plan. The plan needs to demonstrate that the prospective culturist has identified all costs associated with estabhshment of the faciUty and its day-to-day operation. One or more suitable sites should have been identified and the species to be cultured selected before the business plan is submitted. Cost estimates should be verifiable. Having actual bids for a specific task at a specific location eg, pond constmction, well drilling, building constmction, and vehicle costs helps strengthen the business plan. 

The most advanced system of this complex is the sodium/sulfur battery. Cost estimates on high-temperature batteries show that after the development phase has been completed and prototypes tested, these systems may operate well inside economical margins, assuming that mass production starts. In case these vehicles and their batteries are only produced in small numbers, the same problem will be at hand, as already discussed with the lead-acid battery. A deficiency of mass production makes vehicles and batteries artificially expensive. 

During transportation systems operation, thousands of lives are lost worldwide annually due to various types of failures and accidents. For example, in the United States alone, about 42,000 deaths occur each year due to automobile accidents on highways [4]. In terms of dollars and cents, the total cost of motor vehicle crashes to the United States economy in 1994 was estimated to be around 150 billion [4,5]. 

---