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California's grid can't support more electric cars

viraptor 3y ago
That's ok, the car production capacity is limited too. The grid and charging capacity will improve as more demand appears. In the past the oil supply couldn't support our current number of cars either. Turns out, when there's demand, we're pretty good at expansion infrastructure. In an emergency it could be a great project for the market too, like the highway expansion.
- decremental 3y ago
  [dead]
Gibbon1 3y ago
From CAISO Current capacity 43,777 MW Current demand 29,361 MW Difference 14,315 MW That enough to charge 2.8 million cars at 5kw.
- throwaway5959 3y ago
  And EV drivers know you spend almost none of your car's time charging. We maybe charge once a week, almost always at work.
  - nielsbot 3y ago
    Do you have any stats on that? It's certainly not true for me. I commute an hour to work each way.
    - throwaway5959 3y ago
      It’s not time but distance that matters with EVs. If you’re in a parking lot for half an hour and you go three miles, your car will basically only go down three miles of range (electronics and climate take very little power and you’ll get some regen). If you’re going sixty miles each way, no matter how you commute (aside from maybe a bus), it’s going to be a disaster from a fuel and environment perspective regardless of drivetrain.
      - Gibbon1 3y ago
        If one were willing to run some numbers. Californians drive 340 billion miles a year. If that were all EV's then they would consume 85 billion kwh/year. Solar insolation is about 2000 hours a year. So you would need 42.5 GW of solar. With say 30 million cars that would be 1500W per car. Check, average car drives 35 miles a day. So needs 8.75 kwh. 6 hours of sunlight so you'd need 1460 watts or solar. That's $1500 worth of solar per car. Set and match. Totally totally doable.
whyenot 3y ago
I’m not so sure about that. Do you have a source? In any case, the grid can improve in capacity as more electric cars are sold in the state.
williamtrask 3y ago
Then they should upgrade their grid? What’s your point?
- black6 3y ago
  Carts before horses and such.

That's ok, the car production capacity is limited too. The grid and charging capacity will improve as more demand appears. In the past the oil supply couldn't support our current number of cars either. Turns out, when there's demand, we're pretty good at expansion infrastructure. In an emergency it could be a great project for the market too, like the highway expansion.

decremental 3y ago
[dead]

Gibbon1 3y ago

From CAISO Current capacity 43,777 MW Current demand 29,361 MW Difference 14,315 MW That enough to charge 2.8 million cars at 5kw.

throwaway5959 3y ago
And EV drivers know you spend almost none of your car's time charging. We maybe charge once a week, almost always at work.
- nielsbot 3y ago
  Do you have any stats on that? It's certainly not true for me. I commute an hour to work each way.
  - throwaway5959 3y ago
    It’s not time but distance that matters with EVs. If you’re in a parking lot for half an hour and you go three miles, your car will basically only go down three miles of range (electronics and climate take very little power and you’ll get some regen). If you’re going sixty miles each way, no matter how you commute (aside from maybe a bus), it’s going to be a disaster from a fuel and environment perspective regardless of drivetrain.
    - Gibbon1 3y ago
      If one were willing to run some numbers. Californians drive 340 billion miles a year. If that were all EV's then they would consume 85 billion kwh/year. Solar insolation is about 2000 hours a year. So you would need 42.5 GW of solar. With say 30 million cars that would be 1500W per car. Check, average car drives 35 miles a day. So needs 8.75 kwh. 6 hours of sunlight so you'd need 1460 watts or solar. That's $1500 worth of solar per car. Set and match. Totally totally doable.

whyenot 3y ago

I’m not so sure about that. Do you have a source? In any case, the grid can improve in capacity as more electric cars are sold in the state.

williamtrask 3y ago

Then they should upgrade their grid? What’s your point?

black6 3y ago
Carts before horses and such.