This dramatic shift in the transportation sector presents an opportunity. Cars don’t have to just be cars anymore—they could actually be used to strengthen and enhance the nation’s energy infrastructure. But making this a reality within the next decade will require careful planning in how—where and when—drivers charge their electric vehicles.
If left unmanaged, electric vehicles will strain the grid, creating new challenges for utilities and grid operators already struggling to maintain a reliable supply of electricity in the face of unprecedented weather extremes and aging infrastructure. The increased demand for electricity driven by millions of electric vehicles all charging at the same time, particularly during evening peak load hours, could exceed the grid’s capacity, resulting in more frequent power outages and requiring the construction of new power plants and upgrades to transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Most cars are parked 95 percent of the day (1.5 hours a day driving). Because of the long stretches of time that cars spend parked between trips, car owners generally don’t need their cars to start charging immediately after plugging in at home or at work, so long as they’re fully charged by the time they expect to leave for their next trip.