Electric vehicle usage is gaining momentum globally. Consumers are aware the environmental impact more than ever. That is why people are now reconsidering the impact of their vehicles on the environment. People are now shifting towards electric vehicles from traditional combustion engines. These vehicles are efficient and are environmental friendly as well. Electric vehicles are equipped with electric batteries and controllers, making them more convenient and manageable. These vehicles are budget-friendly as well. These vehicles not only mitigate air pollution but also produce very little noise pollution.
The Indirect Cost of Electric Vehicles
However, let us not forget that these electric vehicles also come with their pros and cons. We have discussed the pros.
Now, let us shed light on their cons.
After 2020, 2021 has seen an upward trend in global energy prices, oil gas and coal have all gone up. Workers returning from Furlough, additional health and saftey measures and staff shortages, have all contributed to an increase in price.
Price to charge, depending on what region of the world you are from, the cost of energy has increased, so the cost of charging your Hybrid/EV compared to last year have increased. For the US the cost of fully charge a Tesla Model S is roughly $15.29 for a full charge, giving it a 412 mile range. This equates to about 3 cents a mile, sound great? but are you going to use this range to its full capacity! Use our Cost to Charge Calculator to see how much it costs to fully charge your Vehicle.
Many Electric Vehicles owners are likely to overestimate how much they will use, choosing to leave the vehicle plugged in every evening this not only costs more to do so, it also adds additional strain to the grid.
Time to Wake up because the Numbers are Alarming!
The electric vehicle market is growing fast on a global scale. According to a report from Mckinsey in 2019, the global sales of electric vehicles accelerate with a growth rate of 60% from 2018. It seems it will go the same way for a couple of years. According to another report from IEA (International Energy Agency), the global fleet of electric vehicles will reach a whopping number of 130 million by 2030. It was 5.1 million in 2018.
These numbers are alarming.
We have a comment by Harmeet Singh, who is the Chief Technology Officer of a California Based Electric Vehicle Charging solutions company called Greenlots. He says, “Electric vehicle sales are continuing to hike, but with the electric vehicle adoption varying by region, the challenges to the power grid remain at the local distribution level”.
This increase the electric vehicle usage is imposing a load on the power grids. If we are upgrading our travel by shifting to hybrid cars, the grids need to be updated as well. These are challenging the grids in terms of the load they can bear. Grids cannot bear the massive charging load of these electric vehicles. Especially during peak hours, this imposes a big burden on the grid. Another issue is that there is still a lack of charging stations. The few ones are not upgraded.
The Good news, the V2G Technology!
As the potential burden of electric vehicle usage stands still and valid, there is good news. Experts have discovered a potential solution and a plus point of these electric vehicles. These electric vehicle scans not act as battery storage facilities for power grids. This is known as the vehicle to grid technology. This would allow cars to take powers during the day to take on surplus power from renewable energy sources. Then in the peak times, EVs would return some of that stored power to the grid. If the demand, tappers in the evening, the cars are able to recharge.
Having a sound knowledge of how hybrid vehicles work, their pros and cons can help us a lot in the efficient and better management of electric vehicles. MTC our parent company offer Hybrid Training Courses . Develop your knowledge and further your career prospects with a Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Training course, certified by ABC awards.
