- The shop I worked for did cost comparsion ten years ago for a large farm tractor manufacture. The comparsion was for operating cost of electric, propane and high pressure natural gas. It was done by the sales guys so I am not sure of the accuracy and now since propane costs have increased and electricity has not. What the sales guys came up with at that time energy costs for an electric machine was 1/4 of propane and 1/3 for high pressure natural gas. For the first 4 to 6 years of operation the maintenance cost for IC machines are higher for engine oil and filters, plus tune up costs. After 4 to 6 years an electric needs a new battery. If you are running more that one shift per day you need a battery for each shift and the equipement to change-out the battery.
- An easy way to calulate energy costs for an electric is: If it fully dischages a 500 amp hr battery per shift then take 500 amp hrs and times it by 1 1/2 (charging efficienty loss) = 750 X 48 (the voltage of the battery) = 36000 watt hrs = 36 KW hrs. Here electricity cost 5 cents per KW hrs, then the energy cost per shift is 36 X.05 = $1.80.