Electric cars and the grid..... it has begun.

[tigdlo]

To put some rough numbers to it, in the UK in 2019, we travelled total of 278 billion miles in cars, if they were all electric at 0.267kWh/mile that would be 75 terawatt-hours, the most electricity used in recent history was in 2005 with a total of 357.2 terawatt-hours and in 2019 we used 302.5 terawatt-hours.

Not entirely relevant but we currently have a capacity of 6.5gw of nuclear so running full capacity 365 days a year will only make 55 terawatt-hours.

Info HERE, HERE and HERE if someone wants to check my maths

 

[Richiew]

One of the few reasons for owning a landrover is to tow something heavy?




I have read that towing with electric vehicles is a bit sub optimal due to range? Maybe Doris told me on FB. Would anyone who knows more like to comment?

 

[daleyd]

Perhaps they could share it then. That article was a placebo.

And all I drew from the article posted afterwards from the same site was no. You can't all come home from work and charge your vehicle's carefully hidden behind the window dressing.

Different perspective.

Big engineering firm quotes and wins a huge contract. When asked if they have the necessary infrastructure in place to complete it do they

A) truthfully admit they don't and risk losing the contract

B) brazen it out and do there best to meet the requirements until the cash starts rolling in.

Difference is national grid aren’t a “big engineering firm tendering for a contract”. They won’t lose anything, they are running this whatever - there is no one else behind them to pick up the pieces - that’s it.

They have nothing to lose or gain by saying this, this is what they’ve crunched the numbers and what they’ve come out as. I’m inclined to believe them as they have some supposedly intelligent people doing the maths and calculations.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Difference is national grid aren’t a “big engineering firm tendering for a contract”. They won’t lose anything, they are running this whatever - there is no one else behind them to pick up the pieces - that’s it.

They have nothing to lose or gain by saying this, this is what they’ve crunched the numbers and what they’ve come out as. I’m inclined to believe them as they have some supposedly intelligent people doing the maths and calculations.

So what would be the outcome to the governments plans to go electric by 2030 if the grid said no it won't cope without x amount of upgrades.

Might have some bearing on uptake?

I'm sure they have intelligent people there. We also have a devious and untrustworthy government who have a history of fudging data to suit there agendas.

Il sit on the fence on this one.

Probably worth buying shares in trains and buses as personal transport is going to be prohibitively expensive for a large proportion of the population.

 

[tigdlo]

Give me a shout when it’s done and I’ll watch you off road through a river (obviously a bloody long distance away!!)

A battery powered submarine has made it to the bottom of the mariana trench, as long as its designed for it, it will be fine.

 

[Bluemotion]

Well all I can say is…..
Remember the record player? Your favourite music played at home any time any volume, then came the tape player……… same as above
Then came the CD player and we bought all the same music again at another premium…..
Then the MP3 player came so let’s all change to that as that became another fashion thing obviously for your same favourite music …..
So how many formats do we go through to travel a mile or two? All these just waste the planets resources but it’s still someone’s ‘good’ idea so they’ve a job to go to….
Ok rant over….. STOP…… Carry on!

 

[daleyd]

So what would be the outcome to the governments plans to go electric by 2030 if the grid said no it won't cope without x amount of upgrades.

Might have some bearing on uptake?

I'm sure they have intelligent people there. We also have a devious and untrustworthy government who have a history of fudging data to suit there agendas.

Il sit on the fence on this one.

Probably worth buying shares in trains and buses as personal transport is going to be prohibitively expensive for a large proportion of the population.

I have no idea, but the reality is that nothings going to happen overnight - ICE cars are going to be around for decades (secondhand market), and the grid (not the government) reckon they could cope even if everyone switched overnight (which won’t happen).

Do you think the grid doesn’t get upgraded (because you don’t see it), or things just stay as they are frozen in time forever and a day just waiting for that one extra person to plug their car in?

I’m 100% sure there will be issues, but things will probably cope, just as they always have. I have no trust of politicians but I do have some trust in the clever chaps who are actually doing the sums and day to day running at places like the national grid - > 99% of the time they seem to get it right. Of course they might not (despite them seemingly doing ok for the vast majority of the time) and we could all be in darkness but no one knows that, we can speculate as much as we want…

 

[tigdlo]

All these just waste the planets resources

I think some companies already know what the 10th product down the road is going to be but we get them one at a time to keep us buying the next new thing. It's such big business an 8 year old can become a millionaire playing with the latest toys in youtube videos. It's like a sick joke.

It would make most sense for those that drives about 100 miles a day get electric cars first, A Telsa Model 3 will do that on the hottest and coldest days on 1 charge. We aren't really saving the planet by someone taking their kids to school with a 8 mile round trip averaging 4000 miles a year driving an electric car just because they are the ones that can afford it.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

What I'd really like to know is when the government is going to tackle air travel and sea freight. Two massive polluters that never get mentioned in green strategies

 

[ukracer]

When did tomato sauce or ketchup become "red sauce"?
My wife calls it that too.
What is the world coming too indeed!

It's red and Brown in my world.

 

[fizzy]

What I'd really like to know is when the government is going to tackle air travel and sea freight. Two massive polluters that never get mentioned in green strategies

Sea freight is the most efficient form of transport known to man. 1 container ship replaces about 8000 lorries.
Air freight definitely isn't.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Sea freight is the most efficient form of transport known to man. 1 container ship replaces about 8000 lorries.
Air freight definitely isn't.

I know your brighter than that mate.

How much pollution is caused by world shipping?

So reducing the amount of crap we ship around the world in the persuit of cheap labour and increased profits is a win.

As for jetting around the globe to get a tan. Hardly necessary is it.

 

[fizzy]

I know your brighter than that mate.

How much pollution is caused by world shipping?

So reducing the amount of crap we ship around the world in the persuit of cheap labour and increased profits is a win.

As for jetting around the globe to get a tan. Hardly necessary is it.

Are you about to quote a figure that ships put out x amount more pollution than all the World's cars?

 

[Richiew]

As for jetting around the globe to get a tan. Hardly necessary is it.

What do you get out of bed for though? Work hard all year, some people like a change of scenery. I can take or leave foreign holidays but everyone deserves a bit of a treat rather than just getting by surely?

 

[Maker]

Probably worth buying shares in trains and buses as personal transport is going to be prohibitively expensive for a large proportion of the population.

I would love to see investment in public transport and cycling infrastructure. It won't happen though as bikes and buses aren't new and sexy (And profitable...) like electric cars.

 

[Robotstar5]

Different perspective.

Big engineering firm quotes and wins a huge contract. When asked if they have the necessary infrastructure in place to complete it do they

A) truthfully admit they don't and risk losing the contract

B) brazen it out and do there best to meet the requirements until the cash starts rolling in.

Reminds me of this

 

[mtt.tr]

I would love to see investment in public transport and cycling infrastructure. It won't happen though as bikes and buses aren't new and sexy (And profitable...) like electric cars.

And most people want to drive

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Are you about to quote a figure that ships put out x amount more pollution than all the World's cars?

Nope. I really can't be arsed mate.

Something like the total output of Germany or some such

Seem to recall those huge container ships put out the same as 50 mil cars?

Fact check me by all means. It's been a long few weeks.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

What do you get out of bed for though? Work hard all year, some people like a change of scenery. I can take or leave foreign holidays but everyone deserves a bit of a treat rather than just getting by surely?

That's the carrot isn't it. Do as your told. Pay your taxes and have a nice jolly in the sun. Keeps people in order.

Though to me holidays in the sun seem like a kind of purgatory.

The reality nobody wants to face is we need to change the way with live and work to really make a difference.


And no matter what we do In this country until their is a global cohesive plan undertaken by all nothing will really change.


We reduce our emissions while other countries increase theirs.

 

[fizzy]

Nope. I really can't be arsed mate.

Something like the total output of Germany or some such

Seem to recall those huge container ships put out the same as 50 mil cars?

Fact check me by all means. It's been a long few weeks.

The figure that keeps getting quoted is based on 1 thing only. Sulphur dioxide emissions. All cars run on ultra low sulphur fuel. When you look at CO2 emissions ships are far lower per kg than anything else.
It would be like saying one Spitfire puts out more lead from its petrol than all the cars in Britain.