EVs and the future power grid

Darell; as always, spot on. but one thing u forgot to mention is that all power comes from the same source and its got plenty to give; the Sun.

but we have an issue with processing time. wind, solar; time to grid a few seconds with solar to a few hours with wind...

gasoline; time to tank; about 50 milllion years.

so the big question; what u want to wait for??

gotta admit though; when u look at it that way, all of a sudden that 25 minute quick charge does not seem so long after all eh??

 

In general, I appreciate where you are coming from. I will pick this one item to comment on, however. You say that our grid is inefficient. I would like to know what you are comparing it to - if you have a single example of a more efficient energy distribution method than our current grid. I don't think you can find one. If efficiency of energy distribution is your concern, look no further than ANY of the other ways we do it (like gasoline, diesel, NG, propane, Hydrogen). No distribution system will be 100% efficient - but the electric grid is as close as we get.

 

Indeed - charging EVs at night can make our grid quite a bit MORE efficient - and thus create a situation where we all pay less per kWh... and each kWh that we use is cleaner. This all happens not with any new feed source, or with new generating technology - just with the addition of EVs with charge control timers. We currently waste energy during off peak times since there are power plants that can't quickly be idled (and even the idled ones are wasting energy!). If we instead *use* that energy to charge cars - and level demand over each 24-hour period, just about everybody wins.

And there's no need for any "right kind" of charger. All that's required is a timer - and every production EV from the 90's came with one... and I expect all the new cars will have one too. I mean they add about 50c to the cost of the car. You park, plug in, and press the timer button (which you pre-set to whatever time you want the car to start charging) and go have dinner.

Great perspective!