STANFORD, Calif. — Leaving your luxury electric car charging overnight to have it ready in the morning seems like a good idea in theory. But in reality, research suggests doing so does more harm in the long run. Stanford scientists say that it’s more costly to charge your electric car at night and it could stress out your local electric grid.
Instead, researchers suggest drivers should switch to charging their vehicle at work or in public charging stations. Another added benefit to charging in the daytime at a public station is that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
With the effects of climate change more apparent than ever—frequent forest fires, widespread flooding, and stronger hurricanes—car companies are expecting people to start investing in electric-powered cars in the future. For example, California residents are expected to buy more electric cars as the state is planning to ban sales of gasoline-powered cars and light trucks in 2035.
“We encourage policymakers to consider utility rates that encourage day charging and incentivize investment in charging infrastructure to shift drivers from home to work for charging,” says study’s co-senior author, Ram Rajagopal, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, in a statement.
So far, electric cars make up one million or 6% of automobile sales in California. The state’s goal is to increase that number to five million electric vehicles by 2030. However, the study authors say that the change from gas to electric will cause a strain in the electric grid when there’s 30% to 40% of cars on the road.
READ: Best Electric SUVs of 2022 — Top 5 Models Most Recommended By Expert Websites
“We were able to show that with less home charging and more daytime charging, the Western U.S. would need less generating capacity and storage, and it would not waste as much solar and wind power,” explains Siobhan Powell, a doctor of mechanical engineering and lead study author. “And it’s not just California and Western states. All states may need to rethink electricity pricing structures as their EV charging needs increase and their grid changes.”
If half of vehicles in the western United States are electric, the team estimates it would take over 5.4 gigawatts of energy storage—equivalent to five large nuclear power reactors—to charge the cars. However, if people charged their electric cars at work instead of home, the electric demand is expected to go down to 4.2 gigawatts.
California currently uses time-of-use rates to encourage people to use electricity at night such as running the dishwasher and charging cars. However, the authors argue that with growing demand of electric cars, this strategy is outdated and will soon incur high demand with low supply. More specifically, the teams says if a third of homes were to charge their electric cars at 11 PM or whenever electricity rates go down, the local grid would become unstable.
“The findings from this paper have two profound implications: the first is that the price signals are not aligned with what would be best for the grid – and for ratepayers. The second is that it calls for considering investments in a charging infrastructure for where people work,” says Ines Azevedo, associate professor of energy science and engineering and co-senior author.
“We need to move quickly toward decarbonizing the transportation sector, which accounts for the bulk of emissions in California,” Azevedo adds. “This work provides insight on how to get there. Let’s ensure that we pursue policies and investment strategies that allow us to do so in a way that is sustainable.”
The study is published in Nature Energy.
Opinion and garbage. A real journalist you are not. You are the problem, not part of the solution.
The problem is ignorant woke folk pushing the lie of global warming.
Time of use plans are good. It’s just the plan needs to be updated based upon where your supply is. For example, I live in Kansas. We produce a lot of wind power. At night, the wholesale price of electricity is often times below. A quarter of a penny per kilowatt hour. Therefore, it makes sense that we have low nighttime rates and use those to charge our electric cars. In California with an abundance of solar, it makes sense that they would have a lower rate in the time when there is a surplus of solar power available.
Nathan, in California on peak rates (highest cost) is from 4PM to 9PM. This is because solar output is maximum at about 3PM. At night the majority of power is generated by natural gas.
The study literally is about the future and if millions of people owned electric cars in one area. Of course the cars will need to be charged an a cycle rather than all at the same time. Right now the cars are fine to charge overnight because that is the lowest demand currently. Keep charging over night until it tips the scale. Many people already charge their cars at work or random times of the day. This article is very misleading. If everyone charges at work… the usage will be high during work hours and will also stress out the system.
“electric grid when there’s 30% too 40% of cars on the road.”
I always take environmental advice from illiterate writers as well as dietary advice from disbarred attorneys and medical advice from large breasted TV personalities
This study is bogus clickbait. Why do California electric companies charge much less for electricity after 9 pm? Because the grid is less stressed and they can use only the least costly of their power plants.
” …stronger hurricanes…”
Link says: “Recent tropical cyclone seasons—which have yielded stronger, more active, and longer-lasting tropical cyclones than previously recorded”
Hurricanes are not stronger the link is not true
Cali wants to setup v2g so cars act as a battery for the grid but then you shouldn’t charge at night. Pick one most cars are at home at night. As to charge during the day it is not free for the employer to cover the electricity and not free to install chargers,would this not be a bonus from your employer and thus taxable? And if the employer is selling back to the grid via v2g no way I would plug my car in for them to profit from, significance of impact in life of batter matters little extra cycles will never be better then not having the cycles. Charge at public chargers, the thing we have all been told is that electric vehicles are cheap as you can charge at home.
Nothing in this article even remotely supported their conclusions.
I love how you need to explain “climate change” after saying its more evident than ever. Then everything you mention has literally been happening a long as we’ve been on the planet and/or isn’t true. Back in 2015 we had the strongest most devastating hurricane ever recorded, Katrina. It’s close to a decade later and we have not had a hurricane match her fury, or even close. Strong spends happen. Forest fires can be attributed to poor forest management and there is no evidence flooding is happening at an increased rate. Go visit emrald Island in North Carolina and you would be able to tell instantly if the sea level had risen an inch, been going there for decades and the same islets and shoreline property are all just fine.
Katrina was 2005 not 2015. It’s closer to 2 decades later…
FYI, Katrina was in 2005, and it was where I live. While there was a powerful storm surge, it was not the strongest hurricane ever recorded. Hurricane Camille, 1969, was stronger, and I was there for it, too. There was Andrew, Michael and I think two others that were also stronger. The economic cost of Katrina was high, and some of that was due to increasing value of property over time. The problem in New Orleans was due to the failure of the levees. This year, hurricane activity has been minimal, and those on the Gulf Coast are thankful, but still watching. I prepare for hurricanes every year, with the target date of August 17, the anniversary of Hurricane Camille, to be fully prepared. Those of us on the Gulf Coast are not under water yet, so all this global warming and rising sea levels is being taken with a grain of salt.
Whaaaa?? If you honestly think KATRINA was the strongest, most devastating hurricane ever recorded, you’re out of your mind.
I know from experience- She hit where I live, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
I was right here for it.
Terrible storm — but certainly not the “worst”.
And it was 2005, not 2015. 🙄
Do some research before you write crazy stuff.
And if comments didn’t have to be approved, I would’ve seen the 2 above me & not looked stupid for repeating what was already said. LOL
There is a good way to solve this problem. Don’t force the move to electric cars. Let the market decide the transition. Our grid would be better able to support a slow steady move to ev than a forced one. Every year they say the coral reef is bleached and dying, followed by a miraculous comeback…we have time to figure this out.
Ah yes, the joy of unintended consequences. The timing of electric car charging will be seasonal. Air conditioning stresses the grid during the day, heating stresses the grid at night. Apparently the scientists involved in this study didn’t bother to think of this.
Science is about facts and facts that are right in from of them. Unfortunately they tend to not pull all the strings of what it leads to because they are either arrogant and don’t really care OR the end justifies the means and focus on getting immediate cash flow from grants, etc. all said and done it is all of the above sometimes.
A smarter approach would be to recognize that global warming is a cult filled with gullible fools.
I am wary of the assertion and alarmism of the assertion of “Climate Change, ever increasing fires, floods, and hurricanes”.
I am more alarmed by the mandatory largesse be stored on politicians and behavior mandates imposed on the citizens in the name of assertions they cannot and do not support with irrefutable data. (Specifically, historical and current satellite data does not support the assertions.)
The end effect is to silence,disarm, and immobilize the people. The power grid is simply collateral damage that helps achieve those objectives.
And there it is!
Bingo!!
Well said. This lack of long range planning in California (and other progressive states) is only just beginning to see the effects of their radical agenda in the flurry of a “climate change” driven ideology.
If EVs were so great people would, without government interference, be buying them.
The fact that the gov is pushing this as clean and the way to control a problem that we, as humans, don’t possess the capability of fixing, tells me this is all a money making scheme for politicians.
I thought libs were all about the science. No more. It’s the dollar.
Humans most definitely have the capability of fixing the issue because its our behavior and use of specific technologies that caused the issue. I suggest self-education from a variety of sources for you.
For 33 years America has asserted that climate change is real, man made, a serious threat, and happening now.
globalchange.gov
“…to silence,disarm, and immobilize the people.”
Preciselomundo !
You must go back to knowing what you are. A slave to satanhood. The gloves are coming off and the globalists (satanslave masters) are letting you know; you will own nothing and you will be happy.
It looks like you need to do some reading, with regard to the irrefutable data assertion. Here’s a start: “97% of the scientists surveyed agree that global temperatures had increased during the past 100 years; 84% said they personally believe human-induced warming was occurring, and 74% agree that “currently available scientific evidence” substantiated its occurrence. Since there are few absolutes in life, I’d recommend that to have more successes than failures that you pay attention to the percentages in it, rather than stubbornly ignore them based on childish irrational feelings.
And 99.9% agree that multiple times in the past the climate warmed to a far greater degree than now, before we burned any fossil fuels. Research the ends of the Elder and Younger Dryas.
And of those 84%, there was great disagreement over how significant a portion of the total warming is human induced.
And this was a sample cherry picked from relatively small responses. Do your research on the actually very broad and nonspecific questions asked of a relatively narrow group of scientists.
This has been debunked do many times, yet still trotted out by the ignorant, the brainwashed, and those vested in the near religious pseudo-science of anthropocentric climate change.
A sign of this is the strenuous efforts to marginalize and silence those who disagree.
They’re putting the cart before the horse with this entire ‘go green’ strategy.
We’ve all been hearing about problems with the electrical grid for quite a few years, especially in California, so what are they doing?.. only making things worse.
Let’s upgrade our electrical capabilities before demonizing fossil fuels in this big push toward zero carbon emissions.
It’s an impossible goal anyway.
This article starts off with a lie and just digs deeper the longer it goes on.
Costs more to charge at night?
Was ANY research done? Rates are lower are night when the demand on the grid is lower.
Look at ANY power company with flexible rates.
This doesn’t pass the smell test…
“Current power grid can’t handle future power grid needs, oh noes!!”
EV chargers require a 60 amp 2 pole breaker. My 5 ton ac compressor only needs a 30. The air handler also needs a 30. The ac is not on all the time and once the compressor and air handler get up to speed they only use about 10 amps and they cycle. EV chargers suck down about 35 amps for hours uninterrupted. They use massive amounts of fossil fuels
They most certainly do not “require” a 60 amp circuit. My Tesla will not take more than 32 amp charge @ 240V. Hence a 40 amp circuit. I can get a full charge overnight (10 hours) on as little 24 amps.
And less that 30% of this countries electricity is produced by coal. Educate yourself before you comment. Are you in the pocket of the oil industry? Is that why you are spreading this FUD?
The oil industry you demonize is why we have the technology and things we have today. Including the plastics in most everything we use on a day to day basis, even in EV cars. 🙄
You are very correct about that their is plastic in just a out everything built or made a d with out the oil a d gas industry america would be in a hell of a bind just think all those wind mill being built has plastic in them and anthers ev,s that are built has plastic in them but let’s think a out this for a minute it started out years ago that it was the earth’s ozone layer being destroyed by cars trucks and sending rockets to outer space now its power plants oil &,natural gas drilling that’s polluting the air now lol where are they going to get all the power from to power up all these charging stations that Biden says he going to have installed all over the united states it will have to get it from a utility company power grid texas will never stop drilling for oil and gas and texas owns it’s own power grid so all I have to say is if California or any other state wants to fully depend upon wind power engery then let them decide not the goverment
Think a out it
5.4 gigawatts! Holy cow, Marty!
LIE………..Charging at nite is cheaper at nite for MOST Folks because rates are lower at nite…….Let’s try a little truth here…………..Paul