The Coming Future of Electric Vehicles: Something Here Does Not Add Up
Manhattan Contrarian | 7 Jan, 2023 | Francis MentonSupposedly, we are rapidly on our way toward a zero-carbon, all electric energy future. But has anybody done the arithmetic to see if this adds up?
. . . the energy storage question, although involving no math beyond basic arithmetic, does have some complexities. How about something somewhat simpler, like: If we convert our entire automobile fleet to all-electric cars, where is the electricity going to come from?
With the big push currently on to get rid of internal combustion vehicles and replace them with electrics, surely someone has done the calculations to be sure that the electricity supply will be ample. Actually, that does not appear to be the case. Once again, the central planners have no idea what they are doing.
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As of today, electric vehicles are a tiny fraction of all vehicles (less than 1% in the U.S., says Reuters as of February 2022), particularly in these Midwestern and Southern states. Yet even with only the tiniest level of electricity demand coming from electric vehicles, already major utilities are short of electricity when a not-out-of-the-ordinary cold snap hits.
“She’s a brick, House…
A mighty might-be . . .
Yow.
The electricity will come from where all our needs come from… the Government!
Quite worrying! It’s like all the people worried about farmers and their stupid fields and livestock. Just get your meat from the grocery store like the rest of us, and your electricity from the plug.
Nikola Tesla: “No one realizes that the E in Albert’s E=MC2 actually represents electricity.”…and never call me Sparky I hate it!
Livin’ queasy
Nothin’ free
Electric grid ain’t got enough to ride
Askin’ nothin’
Leave me be
Takin’ everythin’ in my stride
Don’t need reason
Don’t need rhyme
Got lots of things I’d rather do
Goin’ down
Chargin’ time
All my friends are gonna be there too
I’m on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I’m on the highway to hell
Don’t need no stop signs
Or Speed limits
Nobody’s goin’ anywhere
Plug it in
Gonna wait here
We’re all just gonna stand and stare
Hey satan
Payin’ my dues
Sitting in a charging line
Hey mumma
Look at me
I’m going nowhere and I’m feeling fine
I’m on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I’m on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
Can’t start me
” You will ohm nothing, and be happy “
I am an Electrical Engineer but have never owned an EV. Issues with Electric Vehicles (EVs):
1. They drive 40% less then what the dealer says in distance before needing charge
2. Using A/C, Heat, or other car features uses power and cuts down drive distance
3. To power them a person’s house needs to have an Electrician modify the house’s power so the EVs can be charged when not used (usually overnight), cost around $2K at present.
4. If a person lives in an Apartment or Condo then charging the EV off the person’s power is not usable. This causes the person to rely on charging stations.
5. The charging stations are not standard for all EVs. So the Federal Government should come up with standards for power plugs, charging amounts, and how the costs are made (Credit Cards, etc). Costs will vary and as costs rise for electricity so will it for charging.
6. Many charging stations do not work at a location. Sometimes due to criminals attempting to get copper other times due to the charging company. There is different charging speeds and with it different costs.
7. Charging at charging location take time and if people are there using there is increased delay not found with Gas/Diesel vehicles when they fill up.
8. Charging stations have to be found through smart devices and planning when driving.
9. The EVs have issues with the batteries over time. When the batteries fail then the EV dies and there is no way to have it working until a replacement battery is installed.
These are not standard and based on the vehicle. If the vehicle is still made then at a minimum at will take 2 weeks. Costs are high and the batteries are from overseas and made of non standard materials that cannot be put into normal landfills due to toxic materials.
10. Lack of power, brownouts or blackouts affect charging EVs, non-EVs do not have this problem.
11. The USA is using about 1-2% of EVs and the push is 50% by 2030 but the Electrical Grid cannot support that. The Electrical Grid needs updating badly to support increased needs.
12. The Electrical Grid power is mostly from Natural Gas, Coal, Nuclear, and then minor is Wind and Solar. Wind and Solar are most affected by the weather and are not good for electrical generation.
13. The cost of an EV is much more then a gas vehicle+gasoline or diesel vehicle+diesel fuel
14. An EV is much heavier then a gas or diesel vehicle leading to changing tires more often, which is a higher cost. This also is more road damage by EVs that the government will start to tax for by using mileage for EVs.
15. Hurricane Ian in Florida it was found that flooding of water (and sea water) causes EV batteries to catch fire, and when the FD puts it out they will still catch fire later. This causes fires to surrounding area. They are toxic. Also will cause fire problems to a structure. This has been found in other states also.
Car Makers making EVs are a killer for their dealers:
1.The EVs do not require the same maintenance as a gas or diesel vehicle so the dealer will loose money on maintenance except for the battery. Also the EV cost is too high leading to less sales and less dealers.
2. The EVs have issues with the batteries over time. When the batteries fail then the EV dies and there is no way to have it working until a replacement battery is installed. This will make the consumer upset.
3. These batteries are not standard and based on the vehicle. If the vehicle is still made then at a minimum at will take 2 weeks often much longer.
4. Costs for battery and changing it are high and the batteries are from overseas. Most often from China owned property and business.
There are many issues with EVs not reported and that is charging, distance (as reported by the Car Maker) and with using car features affecting it, and charging stations.
Cool story bro.
But your saving the Earth man! Think of the children!
Excellent compilation..thank you and I plan to refer to this when pressed to buy one by Her Holiness, the Ruiner of Days, the Chosen One that I married decades before her favourite day of the year …earth hour came along..
*12. The Electrical Grid power is mostly from Natural Gas, Coal, Nuclear, and then minor is Wind and Solar. Wind and Solar are most affected by the weather and are not good for electrical generation.
This is one aspect that I argue about the most. Grid contributions from renewables actually reduces the efficiency and stability of the grid. Especially solar. Solar panels are efficient for about 4 hours a day in the summer, fewer hours in the winter. This raises the noon base generation to a point where providers have to reduce their base generation or risk overloading the entire grid. This is because peak load on the grid happens at a different point in time; the evening when people come home from work. At this peak point solar panels are not delivering energy to the grid. Power companies have to compensate by ramping more peaking generators. Peak generators are the least efficient.
Base load generators are efficient only when they remain continuously operating. Shutting one off, and turning one on wastes lots of energy. You can’t just turn off the big pile of burning coal in your boiler. You can’t just save the steam for later. It all gets wasted.
We saw the effects of this in California. In the mid 2000’s power companies had to offload their extra energy at a negative price point so that they didn’t have to shut down their base generators. They compensated by eventually phasing out base generation and now California is energy rationing in the evening. That’s when people want to charge their EVs…
I also like to mention the fact that the same people against energy production are against mining the resources needed to produce these so called green energy technologies. At the rate we’re currently mining, some of these resources would require thousands of years to extract from the environment. Ramping up mining requires the use of energy…
One of the things that super kills me about the solar argument for climate stability is this:
The entire argument of climate change is that fossil fuel use conserves too much solar energy to the Earth.
The solution is supposedly to use a solar panel to conserve solar energy to the Earth.
On second thought I do… if for no other reason than they’re making me. Screw you! If they are soo great I would buy one on my own.
Battery life is also going to be a big factor in resale value. You probably won’t have any qualms about buying well maintained five year old gas-powered vehicle, but nobody in their right mind would buy a five year old electric regardless its maintenance history unless the previous owner has recently replaced the battery.