Add to that the electric grid will NEVER be able to be upgraded to handle all of the juice necessary to charge up all cars in a 100% electric car future and you quickly start to see how ridiculous all of this is.
Converting every single passenger car in the United States to 100% electric would only require about 3% more electrical output than we produce today. The good thing is that we're currently operating at about 40% of max capacity, so we'd need to operate at 44% of max capacity to handle it.
- Most electric cars drive about 4 miles on 1 kWh
- 1,050,000,000,000 / 4 = 262,500,000,000 kWh = 262,500,000 MWh needed to power all that driving
- 1,117,475 * 24 * 365 = 9,789,081,000 MWh annual capacity
- That means we generate 4,009,000,000 / 9,789,081,000 = 41% of our total capacity
- Running every car on electricity requires an additional 262,500,000 / 9,789,081,000 = 2.7% output from the grid
- Total capacity of current generation capacity used if all cars and light trucks are electric: 43.7%
I think you forgot to factor in the loss of energy in transferring electricity to the cars, charging the cars, and then using the charged batteries. Only 1/3 of energy created at the power plant actually makes it to the wheels to power the car. In Europe the efficiency of the system is even worse.
That's not to mention the energy used to mine all the Lithium, copper, etc. and the time wasted waiting for chargers, etc., etc. There was a report out recently that took all this into account and shined a very inefficient light on electric cars.
at best 1/3... mostly 1/5th
So for every kWh a power plant generates and feeds into the grid, only 0.2 kWh makes it out of someone's receptacle?
I think you forgot to factor in the loss of energy in transferring electricity to the cars, charging the cars, and then using the charged batteries.
The losses are already accounted for in the miles/kWh rating. 4 miles/kWh is net, not measured at the motor. The kWh is measured at the house utility meter. If they were more or less efficient they would get more or less distance per kWh. For each kWh you pull from the grid you will be able to drive about 5-6 miles in warm weather and 3-4 miles in cold weather.
That's not to mention the energy used to mine all the Lithium, copper, etc. and the time wasted waiting for chargers, etc., etc.
The total energy to manufacture an electric car is more than the equivalent gasoline car, which is why they cost more. Over the lifetime of the car the electric wins out ... in cost and pollution.
OK, thanks for the clarification.
Over the lifetime of the car the electric wins out ... in cost and pollution.
You should check out study, which I'll post if I can find. Also, if the new energy created to power these cars is coal, how is that better on pollution?
You are confusing power with energy. Power is instantaneous, the 1st derivative of energy with respect to time. Energy is found with time.
Just because we "only" use a portion of the grids total energy, doesn't mean we don't have power problems.
The grid is designed not only to provide the total energy needed, but also supply just above total peak power consumption.
Right now in the summer we have problems when everyone turns on their ACs, when everyone is plugging in their cars at stations looking for a quick charge, we will have problems.
The grid will have to be upgraded, not just power production, but distribution. This will absolutely raise the cost of electricity.
Also this administration is moving to a smart grid, that only means more control. Most likely the ability to shutdown stations at their will or have charging stations that will only charge if they are in ok status from the power company to provide a charge.
When the next virus hits, they will likely prevent those fast charging stations from allowing cars to be charged.
You are confusing power with energy. Power is instantaneous, the 1st derivative of energy with respect to time. Energy is found with time.
That's why why all the units in my post are measured in power units per time period. That's what kWh and MWh are - units of energy. I think you're the one who is confused.
Right now in the summer we have problems when everyone turns on their ACs, when everyone is plugging in their cars at stations looking for a quick charge, we will have problems.
Time of use pricing cures that problem. Nobody is going to charge their car when it costs $45 to charge up when you could charge overnight for $8.
The grid will have to be upgraded, not just power production, but distribution. This will absolutely raise the cost of electricity.
Only if your intent is to design the grid to be able to handle the maximum theoretical load, which is not how capacity planning is done. It's not done for sewers, it's not done for water, it's not done for natural gas pipelines, or anything else.
Also this administration is moving to a smart grid, that only means more control. Most likely the ability to shutdown stations at their will or have charging stations that will only charge if they are in ok status from the power company to provide a charge.
And you think they won't shut you off from buying gas if that's the plan? You'd have to be retarded to believe that.
You still don't understand the peak power and demand issue, it is a problem today and will be more of a problem tomorrow. They will say they have to move to a smart grid to optimize distribution. Now that opens things up to QoS style delivery. The game is chess not checkers, you have to see their moves of getting more control on a macro level.
Time of use pricing cures that problem
Now you just given them more control of your behavior. Not a win.
Only if your intent is to design the grid to be able to handle the maximum theoretical load,
Substations will have to be upgraded, lines to them as well. There will be QoS with a smart grid, giving them more control and favor.
And you think they won't shut you off from buying gas if that's the plan?
Electricity is instant, liquid can be stored. That is a huge problem for them, they need to be able to stall society in an instant, liquid can still flow and takes (too much for them) time to deplete. Shutting off gas is like taking a punch you expect. Shutting off electricity is a blind sided punch you don't expect. This isn't just for you, I am referring to the masses and how they react.
They make these moves for macro level planning.
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