No more fuel

[LDB]

for electric cars. The part they don't tell you.

[trollbait]

The title was selective. They were asking people to reduce air conditioning use and other things during peak hours, too.

[Draigflag]

Nonsense propaganda, the electrical infrastructure is growing and being upgraded faster than the rate in which people are switching to electric cars.

[LDB]

Maybe but I'm skeptical, especially after the recent failings in the Texas power grid.

[Draigflag]

77.5% of cars in Norway are fully electric, thier power grid has no issues at all, why would California's when thier EV share is just 8%, almost a tenth of Norway's. Someone's math isn't adding up...

[LDB]

Then again, CA has 5 times as many cars as Norway so the number of actual cars is much closer than percentages suggest. Perhaps Norway doesn't foolishly spend their money to the level of CA and has more modern and capable power systems.

[JockoT]

And Norway isn't hampered by every house, shop, office and factory having air conditioning sucking all the power up.

[luv2spd]

The Engineering Explained YouTube channel did a great video explaining the US grid and how everyone switching to EVs will affect it. The link is below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dfyG6FXsUU

Basically if everyone changed to EVs in the US, the electrical grid would have to be 30% bigger. The electrical grid gets 4% bigger every year, so it would only take 6.5 years to catch up. This only applies to cars, not new construction or transportation trucks.

[trollbait]

Originally Posted by LDB

Maybe but I'm skeptical, especially after the recent failings in the Texas power grid.

That was not the first time Texas lost power to freezing temperatures. The suggested fixes after the previous failure was to winterize the grid, and systems supplying it. The companies didn't want to pay for that, and regulators let them have their way. So another freeze gets the same results.

Doesn't help that most Texas homes are lax on insulation, and most home heating is inefficient resistance electric.

Other areas have their own issues. IIRC, the OP was referring to a heat wave in California during last summer. It was all the air conditioning running at higher than expected demand that lead to authorities to call on people to cut back electricity use during peak periods in order to avoid grid failures.

Originally Posted by luv2spd

The Engineering Explained YouTube channel did a great video explaining the US grid and how everyone switching to EVs will affect it. The link is below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dfyG6FXsUU

Basically if everyone changed to EVs in the US, the electrical grid would have to be 30% bigger. The electrical grid gets 4% bigger every year, so it would only take 6.5 years to catch up. This only applies to cars, not new construction or transportation trucks.

By 2030 EVs are expected to be 25% of new car sales. If we got really aggressive about switching, it could hit 50%. If new sales were 100% EV tomorrow, it could take 20 years for 90% of the US car fleet to become EVs.

Grid improvements can keep up with EV sales.

The US infrastructure is in sad shape. EVs might highlight issues with the electrical infrastructure, but those issues will be there without EVs. Our grid needs updating.

[Draigflag]

We only have 8 years left of ice, but the uptake will be gradual considering most people have the sense not to buy brand new because of the huge immediate losses. The grid and infrastructure in the UK is improving, and the ice cars produced up to 2030 will still be around for another 10-15 years anyway.