If Gas Cars Are Banned, Can The Grid Handle Electric Cars?

Can The Power Grid Handle A Surge In Electric Cars?

If combustion engines are banned, can the electric power grid really handle a surge of electric cars? Let’s dive into the challenges associated with electric car charging, and the infrastructure required for it to happen at scale. We’ll look at the hard numbers based on US drivers, average miles driven, average fuel economy and energy efficiency, electricity production and distribution, how long we have to implement upgrades, average household energy consumption, how power gets to our houses, local grid problems, smart grids, real world examples of where this has happened, and the future challenges facing electric vehicles.

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[cole]

*Texas's energy grid has left the chat*

[carmatic]

the most impressive feat i find in this video is the consistent ability to recite numbers and facts while driving at the same time

[IEsSavageEk]

I agree about your AC comparison. But... Here in California, mid summer CA's infrastructure cannot keep up with AC use alone. Hence our annual rolling black outs

[mervfer]

In 2015, we started installing Mr. Fusion home kits along with 1.21 GW flux capacitors. If they haven't made it to your neighborhood yet, be on the look out for a guy named Marty.

[adam]

I remember living in Los Angeles 8 years ago when a heat wave hit and literally street lights, billboards and traffic lights were constantly being shut down so that the grid could make it. No one even owned an EV back then and people drove around in cars to cool off.

[propellskalle]

As a norwegian I find your examples from Norway interesting. As you say, yes we can handle it today, but just barely at times. This past month it has been very cold, and prices for kwh has gone through the roof. Energy companies have trouble coping with the peaks and tells EV owners to charge at night. However, ...the politicians have got electricity on their brains, and EVERYthing shall be electric in the not so distant future. Boats, ferries, lorrys, buses, excavators, chain saws, tractors, motor bikes, and within 2040 all domestic aviation shall be electric if dreamers are right. Will the grid struggle then?? Oh yes...

[DBVintage]

Here in California they are going to outlaw natural gas fired furnaces starting next year. Also, I believe all new homes here are required to be completely electric with no natural gas appliances at all. That is when things are going to get interesting.

[ryanhardy]

Love your videos, and I'm not against evs. However, your second argument about the local grid and residential charging states that it is based on one vehicle per household. I don't know the number, but I bet the average American household has at least 2 vehicles. So wouldn't this multiply your calculations by at least 200%? Also, it would be nice to hear the avg cost per KWh, ang how much it would cost people to charge 2 or 3 cars. Finally, having experience in nuclear power generation, I think a lot of your assumptions may be a little off. energy production has indeed increased since 1960, but the transmission grid have seen very.little upgrades and is showing it's age. That infrastructure would def need to be upgraded.

[davidfrankel]

What's really amazing is he's talking all these numbers while driving.

[michaelheimbrand]

In Sweden where it´s pretty cold at the moment, goverment has actually told us to not run the vacuum cleaner and other power hungry stuff. In the same time they decommisionned a nuclear power plant. Aaaand they use heavy tax on ICE cars to make us buy electric cars. It´s a bit worrying.

[brucebennett]

I asked this question to a good friend who is a TVA employee and works with the nuclear facility in my area. and he said.
" its not an issue, TVA has many plants on "standby". producing no power and just sitting there, ready to be fired up when the demand requires it".
in fact he laughed when I asked this question. and stated " thats just rhetoric by people who have an (monetary) interest elsewhere."

[johnwilcox]

Wow! From the point of the camera, it seems that entire presentation was done from memory. Maybe there were notes on the dash but it doesn't seem they were frequently referred to during the drive in some beautiful area. What a genius Jason is.

[burkean]

"No problem, we just need 30% more power" would be much more convincing if California and New York were not having trouble serving their current needs.

[error]

Important information like this requires the whiteboard

[tricallyourmama]

There are 2 major grids in USA, East & West. Those were meant to last only 40-50yrs from 1960. It’s already 2022. Also keep in mind Los Angeles not only want electric cars but also electric semi trucks. We have one of the largest ports meaning the most semi trucks. I want to see how the politicians will handle this upgrade. In the summer a few years back in Northridge my sister lived across the street from the electric plant that exploded bc everyone was using the ac at night. Let’s see how it h does semi trucks being added to that grid

[soulman]

I just found this channel and subscribed immediately. Not because of the solid content, or the solid data, or even the fact he was able to bust out math equations on the top of his head. But because of all of the above and he was able to do it so casually while going for a Sunday drive without batting an eye lid or missing a word.

[wouldntyouliketoknow]

Utility electrical engineer here: You missed a huge category - lack of transmission infrastructure. We lack the long distance transmission line capacity to move power from where renewable energy is being produced, to the cities where it will be used. So we can have enough generation, and the local grid can have the capacity to handle the peak load, but there may be no way to get the power from the point of generation to the point of consumption due to lack of capacity on the bulk electric system (BES).

[astifcaulkinyeras]

The electrical code only allows a certain amount of load to be on certain sizes of conductors, transformers, breakers, etc. Increasing load would require major upgrades to electrical infrastructure which takes years and a lot of money. You can't just put a constant 1800VA load on each house in the neighborhood and hope the pole transformer fuse won't blow.

[juhdah]

Great learning for me. I am sure for others as well. Thanksa for the facts, sharing your findings from your research that is, not blowing smokes out of your exhausts!! True for all of your videos.

[bigsky]

Good video with lots of information. Your point near the end of the video about those who live in apartments (like myself) wouldn't be able to charge at home, is very true. The apartment building I reside in doesn't have 120v standard outlets outside for plugging in to the engine block to keep the engine warm during the winter.