So we hear the talk, we read the blogs, and we watch the stories on the news - electric vehicles are coming. And that means fully-electric vehicles, not part-gas/part-battery hybrids, but actual plug-em-in-and-drive-em electrics. Have you figured out yet where to plug in your electric car? It's a question with implications for the auto industry, the nation's electric power supply grid, and the practical, everyday way we will use our cars in the future.
One immense consideration here - how will our local electric grids handle the addition of thousands (millions?) of electrics being plugged in at once to recharge for the morning commute? And what about daytime recharging - what will the added demand of recharging electric vehicles do to the grid on a humid 100 degree August day? How about when large numbers drivers come home (when the load is already maxed out) and turn on air conditioners and lights, and plug in their cars? Can the grid deal?
The short answer: no, or at least, not yet. And the problem seems to be a local one. According to an article at Cnet.com, people who are expected to buy plug-in cars tend to live close to other people who will want plug-in cars. This means clusters of vehicles plugged in to a recommended 220 volt charging station, straining local power distribution structures, adding a peak load onto an existing peak load, and leading to localized blackouts and other service interruptions.
Fortunately, there are solutions on the horizon. One electric utility, according to the Cnet article, "plans to offer a 220-volt charger along with a timer. The consumer would be able to get off-peak rates--called dynamic pricing--by charging between 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.
"Smart-grid technology, whereby homes are equipped with meters that can communicate with the utility, gives more flexibility. In that case, the utility could charge three electric cars in succession or at different rates overnight to ease the draw on a local circuit. Or the utility could offer consumers a menu of charging alternatives.
"In about seven or 10 years, utilities are envisioning vehicle-to-grid capability in which a plug-in electric car owner would sell electricity from a battery back to the grid. A driver could program the system so that the stored energy is sold only at a certain price."
In any case, it seems that electrical distribution infrastructure improvements will be part of the evolution of transportation. Stay tuned!
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