Hertz returning to gas

[DonTom]

Yeah, that's why ERCOT is telling us not to use large appliances and turn the thermostat up this week between 2pm and 10pm when the temps will be in the low 90's. Experts my .....

They do the same thing in CA. Ask us not to use high current stuff when it is very hot in the late afternoon. Summer only. The problem is the grid cannot support all the A/C units on at the same time. EVs do NOT have this issue. Have your own home EV charge start at 0315 hrs or whatever, once a week, and probably few else will pick the same times to charge. And that does NOT mean you plug in at 0315 hrs. Plug in anytime at all and tell it when you want the charge to start. Even tell it if you want to charge 5 amps, 48 amps or whatever number in-between.

I never did say the grid was powerful enough to run everybody's A/C at the same time along with countless other items. But even the peak times are okay with EVs to those who know what they are doing. Have it charge at 5 amps during the peak times, 48 amps when most of the A/Cs are off, in the much cooler morning hours.

5 amps is 1,200 watts at 240 VAC. Your home A/C unit draws about four times that. But even that 5 amps will be a little helpful until you can charge at a much higher rate.

And BTW, with my new solar at my Auburn house, I will always be putting more power back into the grid than I use to charge my EVs each and every week.

-Don- Truckee-Tahoe Airport, CA (my favorite place to get a charge on my electric motorcycles at no cost to me).

 

[Lou Schneider]

True, it's not a matter of opinion, but fact.

But . . .here are the facts.

And everywhere else will say about the same.

"Most industry experts agree that the nation's electrical grid is up to the task of supporting EVs."

All this makes me wonder where the "opinion" originated. I come to the conclusion it's from very poor and unrealistic math, as if somebody expecting all EVs to charge every day during the peak times. Perhaps most EVs charge up while we sleep. And perhaps once a week or so, often having their charge start after midnight when other usage is very low.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Which industry - EV proponents or the utilities actually responsible for supplying the power?

 

[Skookum]

Sending thoughts and prayers to Texas where the "grid" avoiding federal oversight is apparently more important than maintaining viable electrical supply for its residents. Double whammy - recent storms and incoming high temps.

Hot weather poses new risk as thousands remain without power after deadly Houston storm

Houston works to clean up and restore power after deadly storms under a smog warning and as all of southern Texas starts to feel the heat.

apnews.com

 

[DonTom]

Which industry - EV proponents or the utilities actually responsible for supplying the power?

AFAIK, both. If you can find the opposite view, I would l like to read it.

The big problem always the same. Very hot days when every A/C unit is on. Especially during the late summer afternoon in very hot areas. And that was a problem before EVs existed.

That's not a good time to be charging EVs or running much else at all. But EVs can be charged at any time.

Of course, there would be a problem if every EV charges at the same time on the same day, but that is as likely as everybody picking the same day and hours to go to gas stations.

But the grid being beefed up is a non-stop thing anyway. Seems the demand for more and more electricity never stops.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

EV do not have a neutral. Above around 10 MPH, the regen gets activated.

I just discovered I was wrong about that. My Tesla does have a neutral and I just tried it and it did NOT activate the regen as I coasted down the hill.

I just never noticed the "neutral" before as I never had a need for it.

However, the owner's manual says do not tow with any wheels on the ground. But I have no idea why, since the wheels don't seem to be connected to anything while in neutral.

-Don- Reno, NV