Electric Vehicles on the horizon? Do your homework

Aaron_W said:
I saw this movie on TV when I was a kid. Don't remember much about it other than it had "the six million dollar man" in it.
Click to expand...
That was exactly what I remembered as well... watching it as a kid on TV... for some reason I thought about it the other day and was trying to remember the name... I should have just searched in IMDb but forgot about it....
 
I'm reading Automotive News this morning, Jaguar Land Rover, just announced they are dropping all their current lines in 2025 and moving to a, "two, possibly three electric vehicles that share a platform separate from those underpinning Land Rover products."
It seems every week another automotive manufacturer is announcing their 100% EV lineup. Why? Tesla is now the worlds most valuable automaker. GM announced a full EV line-up by 2035.
Some of the "lack of infrastructure to support" has been discussed.
My son and I were talking about it over the weekend. 80% of chargers are level 2, these are typically 19.2kw (80) amp systems, according to the afdc excerpt below.
These can charge EV's overnight.
The concern is the additional load it will put on the grid. I don't know about the rest of the country but PG&E is at it's breaking point.
With hydro electric out of the picture due to the drought and another Nuclear facility is retiring soon.
I'm curious how the rest of the utilities fare in the country??

If you have any valid statistics regarding the added load on the grid, I would love to hear your views.

""AC Level 2 equipment (often referred to simply as Level 2) offers charging through 240 V (typical in residential applications) or 208 V (typical in commercial applications) electrical service. Most homes have 240 V service available, and because Level 2 equipment can charge a typical PEV battery overnight, PEV owners commonly install it for home charging. Level 2 equipment is also commonly used for public and workplace charging. This charging option can operate at up to 80 amperes (Amp) and 19.2 kW. However, most residential Level 2 equipment operates at lower power. Many of these units operate at up to 30 Amps, delivering 7.2 kW of power. These units require a dedicated 40-Amp circuit. As of 2020.""
 
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I asked an expert at a public meeting about electric cars:

1. I asked about the stiffness of the grid and the ability to handle the peak loads from the charging.
He stated that the cars would charge at night when demand is low
2. Then I asked If over 50% of the US power is generated by coal and natural gas what specifically are the environmental benefits.
He stated that new wind and solar would be available to handle the peak
3. I then asked if the cars are charging at night how can solar be included.
He got flustered at that time and said that was a question for an engineer(I happen to be an engineer)

In engineering we perform mass and energy balances to determine the efficiency of a system, weather it be mechanical, electrical or chemical. A quick look at losses inherent in going from chemical combustion to steam to electrical, then transmission losses back to chemical(charging the batteries)then to electrical then mechanical(turning the wheels on the car) and you are hard pressed to say the electrical car "system" is more efficient than internal combustion engines. And if you add in the mining and refining of the rare earths and metals mentioned earlier, we are essentially pushing the environmental nightmare on third world countries, which in my opinion is unconscionable.
 
I think the grid will take care of itself. We already see Ford adding a 6kW inverter. How long before one of the companies gets smart and integrates a solar power charge controller? Most cars sit in a parking lot all day, getting baked by the sun. Solar panels can be had that are almost as cheap as plywood. A car cover using panels, is a no brainer at that point.
 
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