Electric Car Boom Threatens Outdated Power Grid

(Before It's News)

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Electric cars could be one of the biggest threats to the power grid, according to some engineers who believe that the widespread use of plug-in electric vehicles could cause the power grid to crash.

Today’s electric grid is not built to handle the huge amounts of current that electric cars require, they say. Recharging an electric car such as a Tesla requires the same amount of power as three average homes, MIT’s Technology Review noted.

“Some neighborhood grids just aren’t built for huge spikes in power demand” Kevin Bullis wrote in the Review. “The rise of the electric car has utilities scrambling to adjust.”

Electric Car Sales Increasing

So far, utilities have been able to keep up with the demand, but electric car sales are increasing. Around 96,000 electric cars were sold in the US in 2013. But the International Energy Agency predicts there will be 20 million electric cars on the road worldwide by 2020.

Scientists from the University of Vermont have come up with what they say is a solution to a strained grid, but it probably won’t make everyone happy, and opponents of smart meters will have major concerns.

Harness the power of the sun when the power goes out…

Source: http://www.offthegridnews.com/2014/02/25/electric-car-boom-threatens-outdated-power-grid/