Is the nation's power grid able to handle plug-in hybrid cars?

Question

It seems the energy "crisis" everyone is talking about goes beyond the price of gasoline. The demand for electricity in the U.S. is just as outrageous as the demand for gas. Our power plants aren't able to meet the needs as is. Why do I hear so much about plug-ins being a solution? It just doesn't seem like the big picture is in focus here.

Answer 1

We need to control when we consume power , not just how much. Electric cars can help, if we have smart power consumption.

Answer 2

Since the majority of the population work during the day, the idea is that the electric cars will be plugged in at night when the power usage is at the lowest point.  This shouldn't require more power plants at all. (That's how much energy we use during the day!)

Answer 3

I did this calculation once, and yeah, the grid ought to be able to handle the extra load without any problem, especially because they'll have plenty of time to get ready for it: it doesn't look like any sort of a practical electric car will be ready anytime soon.  Note that the electric car websites don't mention dealer locations, because there aren't any cars to sell.

Electric cars aren't a very good solution for any number of reasons, though.  Cars are a terribly wasteful transport system, especially for commutes.  That's what trains and buses are for.  

Answer 4

Depends when these people plan on charging their cars.  If they charge them during the day no.  A lot of places already have brownouts in the summers.  If they charge at night it would be no problem because majority of the electrical things are turned off including the things that use the most.

They are being designed to charge with a 220V system.  Almost every house has those.  Some could even be charged with the standard 110V plug but it would take much longer.

Answer 5

I doubt it.   Have you ever passed a wind farm with only half the windmills turning?   The others aren't all broken, its the grid that can't handle the excess power.   We are extremely close at times of high consumption of power to blowing the entire system like happened a few years ago on the east coast.   Using decades old technology and not being able to expand the number of power lines because of political and cost problems has put us in a dangerous state of affairs no one wants to talk about.   The grid can handle plenty of vehicles at night, but not if they all became electric without some major overhauls.

Answer 6

The "powers that be" figure most plug-in cars will be plugged in at night when their owners are sleeping and there is an excess of power being produced.  The power generators can't be shut down for the night as it takes too long to restart them and the excess power can't economically be stored yet so now it is just wasted.  Might as well use it to recharge the batteries of plug in cars.

PS:  The age of Enron is over.  Since then, the electric and gas distribution companies have been again (at least in the USA) subject to state regulations.

The companies (ExxonMobil, Chevron, XTO Energy, Chesapeake Energy, and many others) that drill for natural gas are the ones not regulated.

Answer 7

What we really need to research is these profit and loss statements being provided by the utility companys. We the people provided the money for the power company's to exist. Now we the people are being screwed royal by those same companys that we the people own!!!

The same goes for gas companys. We used to regulate those things but someone decided to deregulate these industrys and trust private interests to provide energy. It was fishy then, and way fishy now. When is someone going to step forward and challenge these energy companys and remind them where they came from? Seems to me like an awful lot of folks are making an awful lot of money off the taxpayers.

Answer 8

The theory is that people are only going to plug them in at night.

Whether that'll actually be what happens is another matter (I could easily imagine car parks having outlets to allow for charging during the day if they get popular).

Answer 9

No, but it would be better for this country to build more clean power sources than continue to send a trillion dollars to OPEC. The energy is takes for a plug-in hybrid can cost about 1-2 cents per mile, and it keeps all the money in this country for our economic growth.

Answer 10

most dopes dont realise that "plug in" car don't get pluged into your wALL socket...they require high volts and amps...no one has 440 power at home...are we gona rewire 400,000'000 homes with new recharg units?

Answer 11

Yes.

"If all the cars and light trucks in the nation switched from oil to electrons, idle capacity in the existing electric power system could generate most of the electricity consumed by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

A new study for the Department of Energy finds that "off-peak" electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country's 220 million vehicles if they were plug-in hybrid electrics."

In fact, some power companies like PG&E in California are setting up smart metering so that plug-ins and other such products can communicate with the power grid and recharge during off-peak hours.