Interesting Study, More Electricity Please!

They should be more concentrated on how they plan to produce more electricity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, instead of making wide eyed claims of EV proclivity based on dubious meandering speculation....

"Electric cars are rising in popularity across the UK. With the sale of diesel and petrol vehicles being banned by the government from 2040, more and more manufacturers – such as Volvo and Volkswagen – are prioritising production of electric or hybrid models in the coming years. Here’s everything you need to know about the electrification revolution."

https://www.motors.co.uk/electric-cars/

I can see how electric cars will become more popular if the governments ban non-electric cars in 2040.

If the grid is not upgraded to supply the additional load that will be created by government fiat, the day may come when you can't go on a trip due to power shortage, can't run the A/C due to too many people on the road, or you may be stranded somewhere because charging stations can't get enough power. They may be creating more problems than they are solving.

I would much rather have access to the energy stored in a tank of gasoline that I can depend on than hoping that the electric grid will supply it. Taking away this choice is unwise, IMHO. Just sayin'...

One size doesn't necessarily fit all . . . .

All true and a GA. However, I still give kudos to Nissan for making an all electric commuter vehicle that closely rivals the economic costs of many vehicles.

Unfortunately, those of us who can show via simple math how the grid cannot deliver on the promises that others are making for it, are accused of being anti-environment. It seems that nobody remembers the impacts when communication and energy utilities were deregulated, and other situations where the Law of Unintended Consequences repeatedly demonstrated Uh-Oh moments.

The infrastructure of today's technology has never been able to supply tomorrows demands. It has always been that way. At one time the Erie canal was the solution to faster commerce traffic. Now it's mostly a tourist novelty.

Yes, the deficiencies of today's infrastructure must be improved to meet tomorrows demands including that this new infrastructure will need yet to be conceived innovations to mitigate yet to be noticed problems. This is how progress happens.

Just to be clear, I agree with you RAM, 100%.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul means somebody can't do HONEST bookkeeping.

You only have to look at how much electricity the UK has to import at the moment to see how impractical the push for EV’s is.

http://gridwatch.co.uk/

Even CCGT’s rely on imported gas from politically unstable countries.

Sounds like a good argument for personal solar systems. I have a friend in California that has a solar powered house and drives a Volt. Hasn't paid a cent for fuel in his car for a year. He had to run the tank dry only because the fuel was getting "stale"!

Solar power available in UK vs Calif is not equal....Although he may not be paying a lot now for gasoline, I'm thinking he paid a lot, up front, for that privilege...and is now typically smug about it....A $100,000 in solar glitz will take your petrol powered vehicle to the Moon I think....

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Average-daily-annual-sunshine-hours-and-converted-solar-irradiance-over-the-baseline-time_fig6_263318433

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_the_United_Kingdom

Unfortunately, the "solar glitz" is on the backs of every other taxpayer, both Federal and State, in the form of outright grants, ITCs, tax credits, etc., etc. Of course they're available to everyone, but those who can't qualify or afford such systems still have to pay incrementally more taxes instead of getting any monetary benefit, kind of robbing from the poor to pay for the rich (Where's Robin Hood when we need him?).

Check out Go Solar California's website.

The UK has a huge and expanding investment in offshore windfarms.

The sun may not be that bright there but the solar energy is still tapable (if that is a word).

The stopping of sales of new IC vehicles in over 20 years time allows companies to focus on gradual change to meet the new criteria.

It is not unreasonable to expect power companies to change their investment into forms of renewable power: wind, solar PV, wave, tidal, etc will all have a niche and improved efficiencies will allow this to take place without major issues over the next 30 - 40 years when the majority of IC vehicles come to the end of their life.

Renewable energy is growing around 8,300 GWh per year and is currently at 83,255 GWh or 30% of the total generation in the UK...as of 2016....If this growth rate continues for another 20 years that will triple current renewable source output to about 250k GWh or 90% of the total demand....So the numbers work without any growth accounted for in demand...and any consideration of how much money this will cost...but, and of course there is a but, demand will increase dramatically, because, that's right, the car batteries need to be charged....So it's possible that they will still only be producing 30% of the demand by renewable sources...That then means a 100% growth in non-renewable generation source demand...I shudder to think what the $$$ investment figures look like...We need more clarity here....