The more time
that you spend
thinking about
electric vehicles
replacing all
internal combustion
engines, the more
problems you think of.
Starting with the time to
fill up a gas tank with
gasoline = a few minutes,
-- unlike the much longer
time needed to recharge
electric vehicle batteries.
Also, about 70%
of Great Britain’s
entire existing
electricity-power
capacity would be
needed to charge
a 100% electric UK
motor vehicle fleet.
A typical house
in the UK draws
2-3kW of electrical
power, averaged
over the year,
with peaks up to
5kW in winter.
An electric vehicle
slow charger
draws 7kW, with
a fast-charger
drawing 15kW.
The electric
power substations
in most suburbs
were installed
before the need
for recharging
auto batteries,
so most will need
to be upgraded
to handle the
extra demand.
Charging
Infrastructure
Needs:
About 40% of
UK personal cars
do not
have a garage,
so are parked
on the street.
Charging
all personal
automobiles
will become a
serious problem,
because many
local authorities
have bylaws
preventing
electric cables
from crossing
sidewalks.
Vehicles used
by commuters
will need many
charging points,
either at home,
or at the place
of work, or both.
During a major
2012 winter storm,
when the M25
London orbital road
was gridlocked,
electric cars
with dead batteries
delayed the clear-up.
Infrastructure to support
100% electric vehicles
by 2050 is a massive,
and maybe unachievable,
UK ambition.
Definitely
unachievable
by 2030.