Charging EVs At Home Overnight May Not Be The Cheapest Option For Much Longer

It is possible to charge an electric car at home overnight when power demand is low and electricity rates are cheap. With the state pushing for a huge expansion of EV sales to curb carbon emissions, this kind of nighttime charging may not be such a bargain for much longer.

According to a study published today in Nature Energy, the impact of rising EV ownership in the western U.S. could boost power demand as much as 25% by 2035. Utility operators will have to boost power generation to make up for the increased cost of charging after 11PM.

When wind and solar power supplies are at their peak, more EV charging should be done at work or public stations. One of the study's authors said that state officials should consider utility rates that encourage day charging and invest in charging infrastructure to shift drivers from home to work for charging.

One of the best options for slowing climate- damaging carbon emissions is to transition U.S. drivers to battery power from gasoline and diesel models. EV costs are much higher than conventional autos and keep them out of reach for most mass market consumers. There isn't enough public charging infrastructure to keep up with the demand for electric vehicles. It may be difficult to find all the metals needed for their batteries.

More than a million battery-powered vehicles are in operation in California, accounting for about 6 percent of all passenger vehicles on the road. The state would like to raise that to 5 million by the year 2030. The electrical grid will experience stress unless more capacity is added and charging behavior changes are made.

California and western U.S. states will likely feel the impact sooner due to the popularity of EV's, but the rest of the country will need to make similar adjustments to accommodate the shift to EV. Funding for the study came from the California Energy Commission, National Science Foundation, and the Bits & Watts Initiative.