EVs Add to Electricity Demand, But Not as Much as You Might Think
Yes, Integrating plug-in cars into the power system will require careful planning. But the world will be able to go electric and keep the lights on.
Tesla vehicles at a Supercharger station in Concord, California.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergStay on top of the electric car revolution by signing up to our Hyperdrive newsletter here.
California recently asked homeowners to reduce electricity consumption to help avoid blackouts as temperatures soared and the power system struggled to keep up. The plea was effective, with consumers temporarily dialing back demand enough to keep the lights on across the state. But these sorts of close calls are the stuff of nightmares for system operators, and this specific brush with near-disaster had a new element that caught a lot of attention: a call to electric vehicle owners to avoid charging during peak demand hours.