It’s about time we dispelled another myth about EVs: we can’t all drive one because our national grids wouldn’t be able to handle so many being charged at the same time.
Once again, the science shows that these fears, peddled by the ignorant and the oil industry, are false. If we all had an EV and plugged it in all at the same time… absolutely nothing would happen.
Don’t take my word for it: the UK’s National Grid has been saying it for some time now, because, as they say, “we know the future is electric and we are more than ready to take charge of the situation” (pun intended).
The reasons for this level of preparedness are manifold: firstly, and contrary to what many think, the demand for electricity in developed countries has been falling for many years despite population growth and the increasingly intense use of electricity-powered devices. The reason is the widespread use of technologies that consume less and less electricity such as LED-based lighting, modern appliances and more efficient heating systems.
According to the UK’s National Grid, if all UK households were to switch to EVs tomorrow, it would only increase energy requirements by about 10% compared to current usage, and that 10% increase would still be lower than the 2002 peak energy consumption, a level the grid has previously handled.
Obviously, the transition to EVs will take place gradually, which will allow for even easier management of the increase in energy demand. In addition, as the adoption of EVs increases, it is very likely that gas stations will become convenience stores, charging points and VIP lounges for people to wait for the 10 to twenty minutes that most charges require (not “hours and hours,” as people with no idea what they’re talking about claim). But above all, the reduction of oil and diesel refining processes, which consume very high amounts of electricity, will free up a large additional capacity for charging EVs: oil refineries are huge consumers of electricity, but that, mysteriously, is rarely mentioned by the oil industry.
The UK National Grid is not alone in being able to manage the shift to EVs right now; most other industrialized countries would be able to as well.
So stop worrying. A country where all vehicles were electric could handle distribution network and demand without any problems. And we would soon find ourselves living in cleaner, quieter cities, we would have fewer respiratory diseases, and ultimately, fewer extreme weather events.
What are we waiting for?
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This post was previously published on Enrique Dans‘ blog.
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