The Impact Of EV Growth On Current Power Systems

Photo by Yuan Yang on Unsplash

By Kiran Gupta

The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) continues, fueled by efficient battery technology breakthroughs and increasingly competitive pricing from automakers. Electric vehicle (EV) sales have been increasing consistently, with EVs accounting for 7.1% of all new vehicle sales in 2023, up 162% from Q1 2021. Federal tax credits and state electrification goals have further incentivized automakers and consumers to pursue the widespread adoption of EVs. Major stakeholders, including the U.S. government, are clearly backing electric vehicles, but this begs an important question: can the power grid sustain the surge of these electricity-intense vehicles?

The answer is rather complex. While most studies indicate that the power grid can manage the initial influx of EVs, long-term expansion requires infrastructure modification. This will necessitate building extra power plants to manage the increased load. New power plant construction can be a good thing; building large renewable plants to retire old fossil-fueled power stations can not only reduce carbon emissions, but also create jobs and stimulate the local economy. Additionally, the characteristics of EVs may offer opportunities for charge optimization and load balancing, as well as short-term battery storage to boost the viability of renewable energy sources.

EVs consume substantial power. For instance, the top-selling EV of 2023, the Tesla Model Y, comes with a starting battery capacity of 67.6 kWh. Charging this car at home could easily double a household's daily energy consumption, considering the average U.S. household uses around 30 kWh per day. This makes an EV the most power-hungry appliance a house can have, although it allows more flexibility for electricity usage than anything else. Unlike other household appliances, namely air conditioners, an EV can be charged at any time during the day. Smart chargers could selectively charge a large network of EVs at different times, reducing the need for energy utilities to activate standby power plants which are often non-renewable and inefficient.

A more cost-effective yet somewhat less efficient approach to mass EV charging optimization involves delayed home charging. An MIT study discovered that this strategy—programming EV chargers to charge the car just before departure—can reduce the number of EVs being charged simultaneously. Professor Tranick explains this effectiveness comes from natural variabilities in human behavior and consequently, varied driving times across the population. The same MIT research also highlighted the benefits of installing slow charging stations near workplaces. This allows EVs to charge during the day when solar farms are at peak capacity, preventing an oversupply of power during high-sunlight hours, effectively treating EVs as energy storage units.

Although the rise of EVs present challenges for the current energy grid, they also offer unique opportunities. A centralized smart charging system could allow EVs to be used as short-term mass energy storage devices, increasing the feasibility of certain weather dependent renewable energy sources. Households with solar arrays could also use their EV as electricity storage, allowing them to use excess power generated during the day at night.

As the market and want for EVs grow, the need for grid expansion and efficiencies grow as well. Creating an integrated system that will allow for more EVs while taking advantage of technology that can expand and support the current infrastructure is the next challenge. What happens next remains to be seen, but partnering EV batteries with grid expansion could be a win-win for all of us.

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