According to IT Business, Ontario’s Electric car infrastructure will use a “cell phone” business plan.
People will buy electric ‘miles’ at top up stations or swap batteries in a system combining subscription and pay-to-play models. This apparently is the best for everyone concerned. As the article says:
“Much like how your cell phone contract helps to subsidize the expensive handset you purchase with your plan, your electric car could also be subsidized with your subscription to using the electric infrastructure.”
Interesting. Now I obviously always completely misunderstood the motivation for this type of pricing model, as I always thought that the only reason for its existence was in order to guarantee a constant stream of revenue for overpriced services to the very wealthy phone companies.
I guess I must have got that wrong…
Now, let’s see. A high level phone costs around $400. A typical phone contract would be about $40 a month, with a three year commitment.
So Obscenely Rich Phone Company (TM) gets a guaranteed ($)12x40x3- $1440 for a $400 phone (which doesn’t even cost them $400 anyway!).
Oh and then they screw you for ‘air time’ too.
Sure, let’s apply this to electric cars too. I’m sure the electric car companies are all in favour of this ‘model’.
How about doing something for the consumers for a change, Mr. McGuinty?
Oops there goes another aerial porcine…
