If every passenger car in America ran on plug-in rechargeable batteries, what would that do to demand on electric utilities?
What would that increased demand do to electric rates?
Would the cost of operating an electric car then be cost prohibitive?
(Not to mention what it would do to electric rates for powering homes and offices)
They do have recharging stations and more of them are being built around the country.
The cost is free. That means the car pays for itself when you buy one and with the excellent customer service, you’re going to be a fan.
Elon Musk is a billionaire and he went broke trying to get Tesla Motors on the map. Now he’s worth more than when he sold Paypal to eBay to get it up and running. A smart guy.
It would increase demand. But the good news is that 100% of Americans aren't buying Teslas tomorrow, so this would be a gradual evolution. Moreover the impact would be limited because I'm guessing the peak demand for recharging is at night, whereas the peak demand for electricity is normally during the day.
What would that increased demand do to electric rates?
Probably increase them in the short run, although I assume in response to additional demand, new generation and transmission would be added to the grid, lowering prices.
Would the cost of operating an electric car then be cost prohibitive?
Hard to say -- too many variables. Price of the car, price of gas, price of electricity, all of which are hard to model.