If you really intend to adopt electric vehicles, you have to face certain realities. For example, a home charging system for a Tesla requires 75 amp service. The average house is equipped with 100 amp service, meaning you’d have to upgrade to a 200 am service at some not inconsiderable cost. On a small street (approximately 25 homes), the electrical infrastructure would be unable to carry more than three houses with a Tesla. If even half the homes to have electric vehicles, the system would be wildly over-loaded.
This is the elephant in the room with electric vehicles. Your residential infrastructure cannot bear the load.What's the cost of upgrading all the residential electrical distribution systems in the country? Is it a Trillion dollars? I have no idea, but electric vehicle enthusiasts don't have any idea either.
But it's clear that the cost/benefit calculation of all this is a large negative number.
Quite frankly, if you were going to spend $100B or more on improving the environment would it be this?
But there's more, much more on why it costs you more per mile to run your electric vehicle. Odd how nobody talks much about that.
But there's more, much more on why it costs you more per mile to run your electric vehicle. Odd how nobody talks much about that.
Actually, Elon Musk is the only person intelligently addressing this. Through offering a combination of electric vehicles, his battery power walls that store electricity, and solar systems that generate non Grid electricity, he actually has a comprehensive solution that allows electric cars. The whole system has to be implemented for electric cars not to wipe out the infrastructure, but at least he's the only one offering all of the necessary pieces available for sale.
ReplyDeleteMr. Musk is always ready to accept "donations" from governments...
ReplyDeleteActually, the statement that the residential grid would not be able to handle more than 3 cars per block is somewhat misleading, if not an outright lie. In reality, even without the below solution, the grid can handle an additional 75 amps per household (at 220v) without much trouble.
ReplyDeletePretty much BS, if you figure that the chargers already use timers to schedule charging when the load is low at late night.
Having said that, I find electric cars to be a very inefficient way to move people around, energy wise.
But lets keep to the truth and not act like Leftists (or climate change folks) with the data, ok?
Well of course, B, because that's always worked so well for us before...
ReplyDeleteB, the figures might be off but the process of calculating is spot on. Maybe it's not 3, but at 75 amps at night, there is a limit to how many can be supported.
ReplyDeleteMatism said, "Mr. Musk is always ready to accept "donations" from governments. . ."
ReplyDeleteSo is your doctor, and every hospital you've ever seen. Most of healthcare receives anywhere from 30 to 60% of their revenue from government programs. Doesn't make them stupid, or evil, or less deserving of being compensated for their services. Got a little bit of a hair trigger on your outrage there Matism?
We have troops in dozens of countries world wide for no good reason other than power mongering, at least Musk and those like him are trying to change the paradigm away from sucking the great oil tit and belching poison out the tailpipe.
ReplyDeleteLeft the city behind long ago, not a place for me. As an off grid dweller who installed my own solar service, I think as soon as Musk and the others in that business come out with a small electric truck with a decent range that will charge on either 48v DC or 115AC I will be willing to put my money into the EV industry.