Electric Cars and the Grid

Critics assert that using the current power grid system to support electric cars is insufficient, and that it is not feasible unless there are some upgrades, which are estimated to be significant and expensive.

Of course, those of us who support the “green” way of life wish for more people to choose green transportation – that is, electric cars – and if more people choose electrically sourced transportation, there will be more demand placed on our power grids. This means that we will gradually have to come up with better ways of transmitting the energy from the source to the consumer so that as energy demands rise, the demands can be met with little fuss. The European Union has estimated a 15 percent rise in electricity demands as people replace their old combustion engine vehicles with electrically powered vehicles. Globally, the switch would spike up a 20 percent increase in electricity consumed.

It is very unlikely that there will be a 100 percent switchover to electrically powered cars. Neither car manufacturers nor governments foresee a total switchover in the 40 years to come, and there will always be drivers who prefer the performance and design of a combustion engine car. Still, the advances being made in electric car technology and the more accessible prices will drive increased ownership of them. With their sights set on this greener future, governments and electric companies have studied the possible consumer demands for power based on various scenarios involving electric cars.

The results of their studies make for an interesting read:

• Germany alone would require one million electric cars travelling an average 10,000 km annually to consume only one percent of today’s electricity for the necessary energy.
• The numbers are the same for the U.K. Their Department for Transport ensures that sufficient resources will be available to generate enough energy to power electric cars, with the assumption that the recharging is performed only during off peak times (during the night) when a surplus of power is available for this purpose.
• The study conducted by the Department for Transport does imply that when more owners find it necessary to charge their electric cars during peak hours, more investment will be expected in the long run to meet the demand.
• Power grids in the U.S. are said to be capable of supporting 94 million units of electric vehicles; again, if recharging is performed during the off peak hours (during the night). This estimate accounts for 43 percent of all cars. Alternatively, 158 million electric vehicles can be supported if more advanced charging techniques are employed. This estimate accounts for 73 percent of cars in U.S.

As seen above, estimates are based on the expectation that most electric cars will be recharged during the night, when a surplus of electricity is available, in order to minimize the power upgrade investments. Power companies are expected to promote recharging during off peak hours through discounted energy fees or rebates, and smart metering.

 Power network infrastructure specialists in the U.K. and France have generally agreed that