Are we being forced to go electric?

[CXRAndy]

So coming home putting the 7kw EV on charge isn't a peak load as much as putting the kettle on at 3kw and the oven on at 4kw??

No because the vast majority of us have our EVs programmed to start charging at 12.30am when demand on the grid is very low and actually the grid needs load to stop peaks in voltage.

The way the car starts charging isn't a sudden rush of current, they gradually ramp up charging rate. This is very much preferred way for the grid.

 

[MrGrumpy]

In can understand how charging works but fast forward a few more years from now . We are going to be drawing a hell of a lot more from the grid ? What’s going to change between now and then ? There is cock all wind today ? It’s cloudy my panels are producing didly squat :-) I honestly think we have backed ourselves into a corner . Add in the ASHP when gas boilers are banned !!!

 

[Alex321]

You seem doubtful of the BMW/Nissan developments, but with ICE sales due to cease on 1/1/2030, we need hybrid cars to improve.
Edited to add: Full EVs will likely remain too expensive to replace all ICE cars, or EV limitations will remain too great.

Hybrids are the only solution alternative until battery technology improves dramatically - I suspect the 2035 time limit for hybrid sales will be extended too.

I would be very surprised if it is extended. More likely to be shortened, as few manufacturers are going to bother developing new hybrids, given the expected short lifespan of selling them.

 

[MrGrumpy]

I would be very surprised if it is extended. More likely to be shortened, as few manufacturers are going to bother developing new hybrids, given the expected short lifespan of selling them.

Well they better start getting their fingers out and develop this super duper charging network that will be needed !! For if they don’t then nothing will change !!!

 

[FishFright]

In can understand how charging works but fast forward a few more years from now . We are going to be drawing a hell of a lot more from the grid ? What’s going to change between now and then ? There is cock all wind today ? It’s cloudy my panels are producing didly squat :-) I honestly think we have backed ourselves into a corner . Add in the ASHP when gas boilers are banned !!!

More electricity will be needed .... I'm at a loss too, I don't think anyone has every thought how to solve that one

 

[MrGrumpy]

More electricity will be needed .... I'm at a loss too, I don't think anyone has every thought how to solve that one

Yep I know !! :-) in all seriousness though ? More nuclear power stations seems to be the only show in town ?!

 

[vickster]

Yep I know !! :-) in all seriousness though ? More nuclear power stations seems to be the only show in town ?!

Just not in the towns where the middle-class EV owners reside

 

[Mike_P]

There have been reports in recent months of battery cells that do not lose there charge https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/electric-car-battery-solid-state-b2244514.html and batteries that only take 10 mins to charge https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221012132511.htm and doubt such developments will continue which will mitigate electricity supply demands to some extent

 

[CXRAndy]

More electricity will be needed .... I'm at a loss too, I don't think anyone has every thought how to solve that one

National grid said they had calculated they was enough capacity to around 2040 from the existing network. Obviously it would be prudent to be planning to build more capacity into the network

 

[icowden]

National grid said they had calculated they was enough capacity to around 2040 from the existing network. Obviously it would be prudent to be planning to build more capacity into the network

And more specifically:-

The most demand for electricity in recent years in the UK was for 62GW in 2002. Since then, the nation’s peak demand has fallen by roughly 16% due to improvements in energy efficiency.
Even if we all switched to EVs overnight, we believe demand would only increase by around 10%. So we’d still be using less power as a nation than we did in 2002 and this is well within the range of manageable load fluctuation.
The US grid is equally capable of handling more EVs on the roads – by the time 80% of the US owns an EV, this will only translate into a 10-15% increase in electricity consumption.
A significant amount of electricity is used to refine oil for petrol and diesel. Fully Charged’s video Volts for Oil estimates that refining 1 gallon of petrol would use around 4.5kWh of electricity – so, as we start to use less petrol or diesel cars, some of that electricity capacity could become available.

and

As the journey towards mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) speeds up, it’s vital that there’s enough clean energy to power this transport revolution. Our Head of Future Markets, Graeme Cooper, has long championed the adoption of EVs and is confident the grid can support the extra demand for electricity this transition will create.

"There is definitely enough energy and the grid can cope easily,” he explains. “The growth in renewable energy means this is not static and smart metering will make this more efficient. For example, the growth in wind power from the extra offshore wind farms being developed will adequately meet the future demand for electrifying transport – an extra 100 terrawatt hours (TWh) from our current 300 TWh consumed.

 

[icowden]

To go back to the original question, I think we are only being "forced" into electric cars in the same way we have been "forced" into streaming music and video instead of buying records, compact disks and DVDs.

You'll always be able to drive an ICE car if you want. It's just that you might not be able to drive it to lots of places and it will become very hard (and expensive) to buy the fuel. People will still take vintage and sport cars to track meets. But a bit like records, they will become a niche product for those with a passion.

My main computer has two Blu-Ray DVD drives. Neither has been used for over 4 years. I have some records in the cupboard in front of me and a little record player should I decide to play one. I haven't done that for several years. It's quicker to search Amazon Music.

 

[tinywheels]

I'm not convinced and as China ramps up coal powered power stations I couldn't care less about an alleged climate apocalypse.
I predict in 50 years the electric car will be looked back on as the absurd anomaly it is.
as the rolling blackouts approach I hope your tesla,leaf etc prove to be the absolute top buy their owners are so desperate to convince us of.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

So coming home putting the 7kw EV on charge isn't a peak load as much as putting the kettle on at 3kw and the oven on at 4kw??

Not with the smart chargers that are now being installed. They can be switched on/off to manage demand. The next development will be with V2G where the BEVs act as a buffer to smooth out demand placed on the grid. So instead of having to run polluting coal generation at peak times, the BEVs connected to the grid will provide power (which the householder would be paid for)

 

[CXRAndy]

I predict in 50 years the electric car will be looked back on as the absurd anomaly it is

That's a bold prediction
50 years is a long time, seen as ICE has been around for what 130 years. I expect something will come along, in the meantime EV is the way the whole car market is heading.

 

[jowwy]

I'm not convinced and as China ramps up coal powered power stations I couldn't care less about an alleged climate apocalypse.
I predict in 50 years the electric car will be looked back on as the absurd anomaly it is.
as the rolling blackouts approach I hope your tesla,leaf etc prove to be the absolute top buy their owners are so desperate to convince us of.

Tesla, leaf etc etc can be wired to the house ( with hybrid inverters ) and use the battery to run the property, mitigating the so called rolling black outs you speak of