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You might overestimate the demands on the grid. For Norway in particular it’s been calculated that everyone can drive EVs without any upgrades to the grid, if s

by audunw 3y ago

You might overestimate the demands on the grid. For Norway in particular it’s been calculated that everyone can drive EVs without any upgrades to the grid, if smart charging is implemented. That means having a smart meter that charges you the exact cost of electricity the minute it’s used, and having a charger or car that cuts charging when electricity is expensive. This is trivial in Norway. Everyone has smart meters and the electricity provider can interface directly with many common EV models to stop and start charging through public APIs. There’s plenty of spare capacity on the grid if EVs just use the capacity when it’s available, and avoids the peaks. Since EVs are batteries on wheels thats nearly trivial to achieve with the right incentives. Norway has a pretty strong grid to start with since electricity has been used for heating in winter for a long time. And it had already rolled out smart meters for everyone years ago. Other countries/states may need some upgrades. But it’s not as much as you’d think and with modern technology it can be done at a reasonable price. You can often push more electricity over the same pylons with newer wires. Does your country produce its own oil? If not EVs is a path to higher energy independence since EVs are more flexible with their energy demand and easier to pair with new renewables. With the right policies you might not need to import any more electricity, while getting to import less oil or fuels.

prerok 3y ago
I understand the benefits and I agree it's the right direction. What I miss, though, are efforts to upgrade the grid and increase electrical supply. I also understand that it is possible to do in Norway. I commend the Norwegian leaders who invested the income from selling oil into a robust and extensive infrastructure. Most of the other countries, however, do not have that luxury, foresight, or funds. Most of the other countries are also more densely populated and without the ability to deploy wind or water power plants. So, while I am happy for Norway and how it's working out for them, the reality in other countries is a bit different. Would be happy to be proven wrong :)

by audunw 3y ago

prerok 3y ago

I understand the benefits and I agree it's the right direction. What I miss, though, are efforts to upgrade the grid and increase electrical supply. I also understand that it is possible to do in Norway. I commend the Norwegian leaders who invested the income from selling oil into a robust and extensive infrastructure. Most of the other countries, however, do not have that luxury, foresight, or funds. Most of the other countries are also more densely populated and without the ability to deploy wind or water power plants. So, while I am happy for Norway and how it's working out for them, the reality in other countries is a bit different. Would be happy to be proven wrong :)