Will Electric Cars Crash The Grid?

Investor's Business Daily ^ | August 14, 2009 | IBD staff

[WhiteCastle]

Conservation: The Chevy Volt is said to be able to get 230 miles per gallon. That's if it's continually plugged into a fragile and overburdened power grid. Where will you be when the lights go out?

Since most U.S. electricity generation is not carbon-free, the Congressional Research Service agrees. The "widespread adoption of plug-in hybrid vehicles through 2030 may have only a small effect on, and might actually increase, carbon emissions," it observes.

"If you are using coal-fired power plants and half the country's electricity comes from coal powered plants, are you just trading one greenhouse gas emitter for another?" asks Mark Gaffigan, co-author of the GAO report. The report notes: "Reductions in CO2 emissions depend on generating electricity used to charge the vehicles from lower-emission sources of energy."

[doc1019]

Will Electric Cars Crash The Grid?

I’m sure the seven or eight that might sell will not crash the grid. ;-)

[cripplecreek]

Power won’t be an issue if they’re pulled by magical unicorns.

[Venturer]

They are called coal powered cars.

They get two miles to the lump.

[theDentist]

Dear IBD staff, FReepers were asking that question long, long ago. You folks are just getting around to it?

[ColdWater]

I’m sure the seven or eight that might sell will not crash the grid. ;-)

Perhaps you want to go back gasoline powered refrigerators?

[boomop1]

Cap and trade will crash the energy grid.

[marron]

That's if it's continually plugged into a fragile and overburdened power grid.

Fragile and over-burdened, but only because we can't build power plants. Not everyone is going to switch to electrics at once. If we're allowed to respond to increased demand by building power plants, preferably lots of smaller ones well-distributed, its a non-issue. ("If")

"If you are using coal-fired power plants and half the country's electricity comes from coal powered plants, are you just trading one greenhouse gas emitter for another?"

Well, yes, but carbon is not my issue. You are switching to a single point of emissions well scrubbed and precipitated, which is a good thing. And coal is entirely domestic, we don't have to import any at all. Every mile driven is that much oil not imported, and that many dollars not sent out of the country.

We might never want to be 100% electric, since a grid going down would be disastrous, but if commuter cars were electric (and your pickup was gasoline) then we've cut our oil demand by a large percentage while retaining some flexibility.

And if we could convince "them" to go ahead with coal-to-liquids plants for those gasoline and diesel users that remain, so much the better. The idea that we can't get off imported oil is just a lack of imagination.

[Jacquerie]

The free market has nothing to do with these electric autos. They are a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars. They will flop and the obamatons will blame the free market.

[doc1019]

Mayhap you missed my point … I don’t think these electric critters will become popular anytime in the near future. Just say’n. ;-)

[Izzy Dunne]

Power won’t be an issue if they’re pulled by magical unicorns.

Yeah, but those methane emissions from the unicorns....

[Daisyjane69]

Mark Levin has said we’ll have hats like in the 1950’s, with the little propellers on top.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/propeller_round.html

[Secret Agent Man]

Even without these cars, I have seen others posting here that (on the topic of smart meters and being able to turn off your power) certain utilities are already making plans for rolling blackouts in a couple years when demand is a lot greater than supply. Obama and the lbis aren’t allowing any expansion of power supplies.

[Doe Eyes]

That's if it's continually plugged into a fragile and overburdened power grid.

We have excess electric power generating capacity at night. Perfect time to recharge electric cars.

[Huskrrrr]

WOULDN'T IT BE MORE EFFICIENT TO CUT OUT THE MIDDLE MAN AND GO BACK TO PRODUCING THE STANLEY STEAMER?

[cripplecreek]

I kinda got my eye on that crown.

[truthguy]

NO PROBLEM AT ALL.

Electric Cars will be gradually introduced. The most encouraging of them will be the new EREV's. This is the most promising technology. They will be charged overnight when there is much less of a load on the grid. Initially they won't make much of a difference. By the time they are numerous, hopefully a new administration with a much more intelligent energy policy will be in office.

If we are to have any future at all Nuclear Energy will have to be a big part of this new energy. Solar and Wind are Mickey Mouse.

Remember EREV's, Coal Gassification, and Nuclear are the keys to energy independence.

[org.whodat]

Another Boogie-man Blog!!!!, Yawn!!!

[truthguy]

Mayhap you missed my point … I don’t think these electric critters will become popular anytime in the near future. Just say’n. ;-)

I'd take you up on that. The Chevy Volt will be a huge success and there are a number of other EREV's on the way close behind the Volt. Yes I don't think people will go for the all electrics but the EREV's, that's a different story. You will be eating crow very soon.

http://gm-volt.com

[ErnBatavia]

"But...but...but - we're doing SOMETHING!"

Snort.....