The EU intends to phase out the sale of fossil-fuel vehicles by 2030. This leaves new car buyers with three choices: plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, or battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Over four million PHEVs and BEVs have been sold globally so far. And it’s expected to rise to 125 million by 2030. As nations prepare for an influx of electric vehicles, we must consider the impact such demand could have on the national grid. Will electric cars overload the power grid? Read to know more.
Impact of EV Charging on the power grid
If 80% of all passenger cars were electric, the total power used would go up by 10-15%. So far, the launch of EVs on the market has been very reliable. And the electric grid keeps getting better at the same time. Current trends in the EV market show that EVs use low to middling amounts of energy.
A study by McKinsey & Company says that the growth of e-mobility won’t cause an instant or significant rise in the total amount of power needed by the electrical grid. This means that EVs aren’t likely to cause any sudden shocks or disruptions in our power supply, and we don’t need to build any new power plants anytime soon.
Electric cars use 5 to 6 times less energy than the best vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE). When it comes to private cars, EVs use 25% less energy than ICE vehicles. E-trucks use about half as much energy as their gasoline counterparts. This means that when most cars on the road are electric, the amount of energy used for transportation will be much lower than it is now. And electric cars will only keep getting better and greener.
Also read: EV Charging Guide : Charging Stations and Cost
Are EVs possible dementors of the grid?
It’s true that we need to make more electricity if we want all cars to be electric. Grid capacity can be measured in two different ways: by how much energy it can produce in a year and by how much power it can handle at its peak. Energy can be measured in kWh. Power is the ability to send energy instantly, or how much energy you can send in a second.
Cars can be charged at any time. The average US car runs less than 40 miles a day, which means it can usually go five days without charging. But they can charge whenever they want as long as they can plug in. Most people plug in at night when there is a lot of extra power on the grid, and electricity costs the least. In the future, more cars will plug in at work. But there will be too much room for those cars until about 2 pm. Few cars on road trips will need to charge in the late afternoon, and those that do will have to pay extra.
People who didn’t get it thought it was funny that California’s plan to go all-electric by 2035 was announced the same week they told people not to charge their cars from 4 pm to 9 pm because of a heat wave. People thought they were telling people not to charge their cars, But the advice to not charge at the peak is good advice all the time, not just when it’s hot. No one in California had to walk to work because their car wouldn’t start because of this lack. This is because the demand is only for power, not energy, at peak times.
Also read: The Ultimate Guide to Charging Your Electric Car at Home
EV smart charging and V2G – Vehicle to grid
Smart charging can get rid of most of the problems with peak electricity consumption and low-voltage grids at the regional and household levels. This system allows you to intelligently manage how your electric vehicle (EV) charges by connecting it to the grid. With smart charging, aka V1G charging, energy is only used when it is most efficient to do so. Renewable energy can be stored in an electric vehicle’s battery during the day when production is normally high. The energy might be released in the evening, when demand is at its highest, easing the strain on the market.
Electric vehicles provide low-cost energy storage for utilities since they require no upfront investment and have low running expenses. The batteries in EVs can be utilized to stabilize the grid. And the owners of those EVs can get paid for doing so.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is now accessible, allowing for enhanced smart charging. In order to equalize fluctuations in energy output and consumption, V2G allows the charged electricity to be temporarily sent back from the car batteries to the grid.
Also read: What Is Bidirectional Charging? Which Electric Cars Have It?
Way.com make it easy for you to keep your electric vehicles (EVs) pumped up by helping you find the best EV chargers near you.
Can EVs support the grid?
Some experts think EVs could help power lines in the future if used well. Vehicle-to-grid, or V2G, technology would turn electric cars plugged into a network of batteries that utilities could use to store energy for emergencies or when there is a lot of demand.
Also read : A Guide to Different Types of EV Chargers
Bottom line
Will electric cars overload the power grid? Even though electric cars are getting common faster than ever, electric cars won’t cause a huge power demand crisis quickly. Going 100% green is not a rapid change; it has been going on for decades. This gives the companies ample time to adapt and make plans. However, investments must be made to improve buildings for the future in every country.
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