Environment & Energy

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)

3. Why would I want to own an electric car if the power company could

Wed Apr 24, 2013, 06:39 PM

Apr 2013

suck half of the capacity out of it when they needed the juice?

And why would the power company want to depend on consumers not deciding to pull the plugs when they didn't want to give up the power?

I'm all for a smart grid, but I think it make no sense at all to drain EVs.

Let my electric water heater drop 10 degrees when power is needed elsewhere? No problem.

Washing machines and dishwashers with the intelligence to only run their loads when there is surplus power available? I'm in.

Suck juice out of my EV? You have to be nuts! Until you can give me a battery that will reliably give me a 200 mile range even AFTER you have sucked some of the juice, I'm not with that program.

The time of day when I am most sensitive to battery range is the same time that power is tight on the grid.

The typical hybrid car battery could run an average house AC unit for maybe 15-30 minutes. This just isn't the scale of battery needed for the grid.

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New (Flow) Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Energy Power the Grid [View all] OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 OP

Very interesting. A major fallacy in the energy world is that the same technology can BlueStreak Apr 2013 #1

“… Some nitwits have talked about truly hair-brained schemes …” OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #2

Why would I want to own an electric car if the power company could BlueStreak Apr 2013 #3

While I’m skeptical of V2G I believe your estimation is off OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #4

In that example, I believe they ran the gas engine BlueStreak Apr 2013 #5

I don’t mean to suggest that people should do this themselves OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #6

"Drain EVs" dramatically oversimplifies the proposal. FBaggins Apr 2013 #7

Regarding the third area BlueStreak Apr 2013 #8

No... I mean actual supply/demand spikes. FBaggins Apr 2013 #9

V2G efficiency losses are at least 20% wtmusic Apr 2013 #11

Did you read the reply? FBaggins Apr 2013 #12

Or, put another way, it’s about 80% efficient OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #15

Do you like green eggs and ham? (Why?) wtmusic Apr 2013 #18

Maybe I don't understand the leveling problem BlueStreak Apr 2013 #14

Agree on V2G, fuel cells have been a few years away for 20 years wtmusic Apr 2013 #10

EVs are way under 1% of the market BlueStreak Apr 2013 #13

Automotive (hydrogen) fuel cells will never happen. wtmusic Apr 2013 #16

They’re already here OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #17

They've been "here" for twenty years. wtmusic Apr 2013 #19

No, they”re being assembled now. OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #20

They're selling them to fleets wtmusic Apr 2013 #21

Um… perhaps they want an actual clean technology OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #22

Compressed H2 reformed from natural gas is significantly more efficient used in an FCV wtmusic Apr 2013 #27

Yeah, I didn’t want to overstate the case OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #32

Let's find out. wtmusic Apr 2013 #35

“Apparently the difference has to do with electricity used in the reforming process.” OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #36

From a manufacturer who's hyping their FCV and doesn't offer a BEV. wtmusic Apr 2013 #37

Now, why do you suppose he would be irrationally attracted to FCEV’s? OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #38

For the same reason VW was attracted to them? wtmusic Apr 2013 #39

I guess we’ll see OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #40

In situ Hydrogen generation (talk about a political football) BlueStreak Apr 2013 #24

You could generate your own hydrogen from a solar array wtmusic Apr 2013 #25

That may all be true. What it boils down is that both camps are hoping for a miracle BlueStreak Apr 2013 #26

There are 50,000 people in the U.S. driving cars which you say are not "anywhere close" wtmusic Apr 2013 #28

What do you drive? BlueStreak Apr 2013 #30

The one huge disadvantage of EVs BlueStreak Apr 2013 #29

Recharging is really not a problem. wtmusic Apr 2013 #31

For me, that would work as a SECOND car if it had twice the range BlueStreak Apr 2013 #34

Pressurization may not be the challenge you imagine OKIsItJustMe Apr 2013 #33

Think of the market for ... oldhippie Apr 2013 #23

The name of the team leader might be familiar to some longtime EE readers kristopher Apr 2013 #41