California just mandated all new vehicle sales to be electric starting in 2035. The following is a big picture, systems analysis of cost vs benefit. Details matter, and the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Looking under the hood of “clean energy”, battery driven EVs, the dirt found might surprise most people. Let’s consider here energy production and distribution.
- Energy production: “Green energy” and “zero emissions” Batteries do not make electricity – they store electricity produced elsewhere, primarily by coal, uranium, natural gas-powered plants, or diesel-fueled generators. So, to say an EV is a zero-emission vehicle is not at all valid. Also, since forty percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. is from coal-fired plants, it follows that forty percent of the EVs on the road are coal-powered.
- Electricity distribution: Projected increased EV charging will significantly increase electricity demand. Our existing power grid will require substantial infrastructure investment. California’s power operator recently asked residents to avoid charging electric vehicles at certain hours through Labor Day to ease the stress on the power grid amid extreme heat and high demand. The request from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) came days after the state adopted rules that would ban the sale of gas-powered cars as of 2035.
- Next week: Part 2 discusses hazards of EV’s and disposal issues of their batteries.
