Electric Car and North American Energy Supply

Is the Continent's Power Grid Ready for Electric Vehicles?

Jun 20, 2009

In the past few years, the electric car has gained enormous hype throughout North America as a valid replacement for fossil-fuel burning cars. Is the power grid ready?

Remember a few years back, when biodiesel made from corn was the newest hype in the North America fuel sector? Farmers were being subsidised to grow the fuel for the next generation of vehicles, and the continent would be virtually free of its dependence on foreign oil.

Well, that plan did not exactly pan out. When it was realized that the energy conversion of corn into fuel was less efficient than burning fossil fuels, and the loss of land and food in turn caused food prices to soar, and corn shortages to cause grain prices to skyrocket, biodiesel was abandoned as the one saviour for American energy needs.

The newest fad in automobile design is the electric car, but no form of energy is free, or cheap. What are the impacts that a flood of electric cars might have on the North American power grid? Or is the grid destined for a repeat of the August 2003 blackout?

Thousands of Electric Cars Plugged In?

There is actually very little research into the long-term effects of a sudden increase in electric cars on the road. Ontario Hydro is in the process of completing a large scale investigation into how energy demand will fluctuate or change in this scenario.

Yet, even if car makers throughout the globe suddenly switched production into solely making electric cars, it would take decades for them to supplant fossil fuel vehicles as the dominant vehicle on the road. President Barack Obama has targeted 2015 for the one-millionth plug in hybrid to hit the streets.

Power Demand of Electric Cars

Moreover, due to their onboard gas motor, electric cars still are not enormous consumers of hydro. They are even designed to recharge their batteries while braking, furthering the amount of charge available for the car.

And accoring to the Electric Power Research Instititute the amount of energy needed to charge a hybrid is around the same as plugging in two plasma televisions.

Finally, most studies confirm that the majority of households would plug in and recharge their hybrids in the evening - precisely when the peak demand for energy is lowest across the power grid.

Do Electric Hybrids Really Help the Environment?

In the United States, approximately 70 per cent of energy is generated through coal-fired power plants. Any forms of carbon reduction achieved through the wide-scale adoption of hybrid electric vehicles would undoubtedly be dwarfed by the increased greenhouse gas emissions created by these coal plants. A major shift towards greener power sources would also need to accompany any substantial shift towards hybrid vehicles.

In Canada, approximately half of the country's power comes from renewables including wind and solar, so the impacts of higher energy demanded by an increase in hybrid vehicles would be less than the United States.

The Overall Benefits of Electric Vehicles and Living Green

Despite the uncertainty surrounding electric vehicles and hybrids, there is definitely a future market for their continued growth. Consumers have already begun to recognize the harmful ways that our actions can impact the world around us, from reducing the number of plastic bags, to the high social status associated with appearing "eco-friendly," the shift towards a more sustainable lifestyle is underway across the globe.

The electric hybrid vehicle is no different. The wide-spread adoption of electric vehicles will not only improve air quality in smog-filled cities, it will create thousands, if not millions, of jobs, and it will help raise awareness and pave the way for greener energy sources. Moreover, the badly needed upgrade in the power grid that will arise from this technology will enable even greater energy savings as systems become harmonized and more efficient.

The copyright of the article Electric Car and North American Energy Supply in Auto Tech & Repair is owned by James Jackson. Permission to republish Electric Car and North American Energy Supply in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.