Electric cars are pollution shifters: we will need huge investment in generation capacity

[rangerrebew]

 

Electric cars are pollution shifters: we will need huge investment in generation capacity
July 31, 2017

By Paul Homewood


Apparently the Guardian actually has one sensible reader.

From their letters page:

There seems to be little understanding of the simple fact that electric vehicles (EV) are, in the main, pollution shifters – from tailpipe to power generation facility (Ban from 2040 on diesel and petrol car sales, 26 July). The electricity generation and transmission system is already tested to its limits during a harsh winter. Only if objections disappeared to the mass building of thousands of the largest wind turbines, plus similar numbers of hectares of photovoltaic solar generation, could the pollution shifters’ argument be refuted. Even then, there would still be need for conventional or nuclear generation for when the sun doesn’t shine and wind doesn’t blow – doubling the capital requirement.

https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/electric-cars-are-pollution-shifters-we-will-need-huge-investment-in-generation-capacity/

[thackney]

[SunkenCiv]

The Tesla Model 3, which could be the largest-selling electric model by the end of 2018, requires about seven times the amount of average electricity use of the average home (34, vs about 5) to fully charge up.

Basically, all this does increase the use of coal or methane in the short and middle term, while shifting the point source of the pollution.

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[thackney]

The Tesla Model 3, which could be the largest-selling electric model by the end of 2018, requires about seven times the amount of average electricity use of the average home (34, vs about 5) to fully charge up.

Can you give some more info on that claim?

[jpsb]

Can you give some more info on that claim?

So one fully charges Tesla could power a house for up to a week? I don't believe it.


re The Tesla Model 3, which could be the largest-selling electric model by the end of 2018, requires about seven times the amount of average electricity use of the average home (34, vs about 5) to fully charge up.

[thackney]

The Tesla Model 3...requires about seven times the amount of average electricity use of the average home (34, vs about 5) to fully charge up.

Some data to put that in comparison.


http://jalopnik.com/the-tesla-model-3-long-range-trim-can-go-310-miles-on-a-1797356952

Standard Model 3
$35,000 starting price
220 mile range
0-60 in 5.6 seconds
130 mph top speed
Supercharging rate: 130 miles in 30 minutes
Home charging rate: 30 miles of range per hour (240V outlet, 32A)

240V x 32A = 7.7 kilowatts

220 miles / 30 miles charged per hour = 7.3 hours

7.3 hours x 7.7 kilowatts = 56.3   kilowatthours

- - - - - - - -

How much electricity does an American home use?
https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=97&t=3

In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month.

10,812 kWh / 365 days = 29.6 kWh

- - - - - - - -

56.3 kWh / 29.6 kWh = 1.9 times

About double an average home's daily electrical use to fully charge a standard Tesla Model 3 overnight.

- - - - - - - -

Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm

Average miles driven per driver per year = 13,476 miles

13,476 miles / 220 miles per complete charge = 61.3 charging cycles

- - - - - - - -

61.3 charging cycles x 29.6 kWh =  3,450 kWh per year per average driver

 10,812 kWh /  3,450 kWh = 0.32

Total year's average driving equals about 1/3 average home electrical use.

If you use the extended range model the energy to full charge is greater, but is offset by fewer charges required for the same distance.  It also comes out to 32% the average home use, year to year.