EV opposition in the media is ramping up

[Tweed98]

https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/niederlande-frachter-brand-fremantlehighway-102.html?utm_source=ground.news&utm_medium=referral

Looks like even the guys on the ship don't know for sure. All I know is the fire brigade and british standards still haven't worked out what they want, I'm in architecture and we may have to compartmentalize parking bays to prevent fire spread, put in drenchers to suppress fire or just ventilate better. Worst case is they ban EVs from sub-ground basements. Hopefully these solid state batteries are bullet proof and get on line quickly to stop all the arguements. Fast cahrge and better range.

 

[Grriff]

A more relevant question on EVs is, 'Will the UK's electrical infrastructure support EVs?'.
If you consider a street of 50 houses with say 25 EVs charging overnight, that's a potential current draw of 750A, assuming 7kW chargers. Will the road's main feed take this?

 

[tsedge]

A more relevant question on EVs is, 'Will the UK's electrical infrastructure support EVs?'.
If you consider a street of 50 houses with say 25 EVs charging overnight, that's a potential current draw of 750A, assuming 7kW chargers. Will the road's main feed take this?

The key issue here is not to have a big "kettle-on" peak. If the charging is spread out intelligently due to need then relatively small changes are needed to the grid.

This is why intelligent tariffs are becoming the norm and in future everyone will be encouraged to use then so charging can be staggered and spread out locally and nationally.

Apocalyptic prophets tend to assume that all cars are charging at the same time, which isn't even true now, let alone when intelligent charging becomes the norm.

 

[Grriff]

But the infrastructure for intelligent charging needs to be introduced. This requires intelligent chargers and intelligent suppliers.

 

[tsedge]

But the infrastructure for intelligent charging needs to be introduced. This requires intelligent chargers and intelligent suppliers.

Indeed. Octopus Intelligent exists and is expanding the range of EVs and chargers supported.

 

[Grriff]

But only Octopus and Omipro, which won't solve the problem on their own. We need new houses fitted with solar panels, batteries and intelligent switching oc EV chargers, heat pumps and air conditioning.

 

[tsedge]

But only Octopus and Omipro, which won't solve the problem on their own. We need new houses fitted with solar panels, batteries and intelligent switching oc EV chargers, heat pumps and air conditioning.

More are coming. Solar panels and batteries are not required (at home) to solve the problem, though very nice for those that can afford the investment and stay put long enough to get the return.

 

[Gadget Geek]

According to the National Grid, the National Grid can cope.


Also, when the oil refineries stop using megaWatts of electricity to refine the crude oil, all that electricity will be available to other consumers.

 

[Cafeg]

Refineries stopping using electricity will be a while away yet, Once more EVs are uptaked, the problem is going to be more with enough charging stations to cope with the 1 to 2 hr wait to charge your EV.
Thats when using excess solar to charge up the EV instead of exporting it. We have 6.5 kw of solar plus a tesla 2 powerwall battery. We use the excess solar to charge up our EV battery instead of exporting it at 8 cents a KW.
Home charging will be more of the norm in future as charging stations get congested.

 

[Grriff]

From 'A guide to the installation of high street electrical furniture 3.1.2'
'In many cases, DNOs advise that their cables are already at maximum capacity and are therefore unsuitable for any additional loading. In these instances a complete DNO supply network upgrade, which may include the addition of a substation, may be required. '
Hence my concern about local infrastructure.

 

[JimD]

From 'A guide to the installation of high street electrical furniture 3.1.2'
'In many cases, DNOs advise that their cables are already at maximum capacity and are therefore unsuitable for any additional loading. In these instances a complete DNO supply network upgrade, which may include the addition of a substation, may be required. '
Hence my concern about local infrastructure.

That document is talking about street furniture (including fast and rapid chargers) rather than domestic installations. It's still relevant to the argument of course, but the fact is that generally speaking domestic supplies are designed to accommodate a certain level of peak loading in the early evening but are drastically under-utilised during the early hours of the morning, which is exactly when EVs are most likely to be charging from home chargers.

 

[tsedge]

That document is talking about street furniture (including fast and rapid chargers) rather than domestic installations. It's still relevant to the argument of course, but the fact is that generally speaking domestic supplies are designed to accommodate a certain level of peak loading in the early evening but are drastically under-utilised during the early hours of the morning, which is exactly when EVs are most likely to be charging from home chargers.

Exactly. If the load is distributed throughout the day, it is much less of a problem. That's not to say there aren't some upgrades needed but the reports I've seen say it is surprisingly little in those circumstances.

Plus in the case of street lamp chargers (for example) there is huge underused capacity since the high power feeds for the old lamps are now only powering LEDs with a fraction of the energy draw.

I don't think people realise that national electricity consumption is decreasing, having peaked in the early 2000s, due to energy efficiency in appliances and dramatically lower energy-intensive industries.

 

[Rolfe]

Also, does every house in the street need its own wall box? Obviously there are logistics to work out such as how to ensure fair access to the device and proper payment, but most wall boxes are just sitting there most of the time. (I occasionally wonder whether my neighbours with the massed array of solar panels might offer me a bit of their free juice, but no joy so far!)

 

[Les burrows]

Also, does every house in the street need its own wall box? Obviously there are logistics to work out such as how to ensure fair access to the device and proper payment, but most wall boxes are just sitting there most of the time. (I occasionally wonder whether my neighbours with the massed array of solar panels might offer me a bit of their free juice, but no joy so far!)

Hi Rolfe have you approached them you don’t get if you don’t ask there are many on ZapMaps which are at someone house even if you don’t get it for free it might save you a walk from the public charge point
As and you might receive you never know
Les

 

[Lovemyev]

Talking of the threat of EV’s catching fire in multi story car parks ……. Well a fossil Land Rover did a pretty good job of causing a bit of a mess, a few years ago in Liverpool.
I bet they were searching for a EV in the mess to accredit the blame too !.

'All vehicles destroyed': fire guts Liverpool multistorey car park

Horse show cancelled and area evacuated but no one injured as firefighters tackled blaze at Liverpool Echo Arena

amp.theguardian.com

 

[Rolfe]

Hi Rolfe have you approached them you don’t get if you don’t ask there are many on ZapMaps which are at someone house even if you don’t get it for free it might save you a walk from the public charge point
As and you might receive you never know
Les

I haven't asked them because I don't really need anything from them. I have my granny charger and I only use the public charger to speed things up a bit, if I feel like it. It just crossed my mind, when we had all that sunshine in June, I wonder if they have any spare sunlight going begging. (The other couple in the street who have a wall box spontaneously offered me the use of it if I was ever in need, but they don't have solar and since the granny charger could keep pace with my motoring needs even without the public charger, I probably won't need to ask.)

 

[Les burrows]

Talking of the threat of EV’s catching fire in multi story car parks ……. Well a fossil Land Rover did a pretty good job of causing a bit of a mess, a few years ago in Liverpool.
I bet they were searching for a EV in the mess to accredit the blame too !.

'All vehicles destroyed': fire guts Liverpool multistorey car park

Horse show cancelled and area evacuated but no one injured as firefighters tackled blaze at Liverpool Echo Arena

amp.theguardian.com

Hi Jeff I remember it well one hell of a mess
Les

 

[Alb]

From 'A guide to the installation of high street electrical furniture 3.1.2'
'In many cases, DNOs advise that their cables are already at maximum capacity and are therefore unsuitable for any additional loading. In these instances a complete DNO supply network upgrade, which may include the addition of a substation, may be required. '
Hence my concern about local infrastructure.

You can check out EV expansion capacity for your local substation online for my DNO at least:

National Grid - EV capacity map application

National Grid Electricity Distribution is the regional electricity distribution division of National Grid.

www.nationalgrid.co.uk

 

[GaryMG4]

Just spotted on BBC news police BMW 330ds having catastrophic engine failures causing the vehicle to crash and burn. The problem has been known about for years. Odd not seen any YT videos about it.

 

[tsedge]

Just spotted on BBC news police BMW 330ds having catastrophic engine failures causing the vehicle to crash and burn. The problem has been known about for years. Odd not seen any YT videos about it.

Of course not, nobody worries about the exploding death traps filled with flammable liquid, we grew up with them. Why would you be remotely concerned with a device powered by lots of small explosions? ?