KD4UPL wrote:

Forget the grid, the electrical infrastructure in most homes and neighborhoods can't handle total conversion to EVs. Many homes still have 60 amp services. Most homes in the US have 100 amp services. A level 2 charger can draw from 30 to about 60 amps depending on the model and the charge level of the car it's charging. This leaves very little service capacity for the other loads in the house. With gas and oil heat being forced out in favor of heat pumps it makes the situation even worse. Most homes in this country will need a new service to handle EVs alone, not to mention full electrification.
A 25 kVA transformer is a common size to supply 1 or more homes. These are roughly rated for 100 amps. If this is what's feeding your home, even if you have a 200 amp service, adding an EV could easily overload the transformer. In households that would have 2 or more drivers and thus multiple cars charging the power company will likely need to upgrade the transformers. In some older neighborhoods it's not uncommon for one 25 kVA transformer to feed several homes; I've seen up to 6 personally.
My vacation house is fed with a 15 kVA transformer. I was looking at putting in a tankless water heater instead of our tank type. A tank type WH uses 4.5 kVA. The size tankless heater I would need was going to be 20 kVA. Obviously I can't run that on a 15 kVA transformer. The power company wanted $5,000 to upgraded it. I"m sticking with my tank type. I had thought about adding an electric car charger at the cabin to make it more appealing to renters. But, after figuring the water heater, well pump, air conditioning, and other loads there wasn't enough capacity for a charger.
This doesn't even address the power company feeders in neighborhoods. If everybody on a cul-de-sac fed by the same feeder gets their electric cars charging at once the feeder will be overwhelmed.
Most people will be charging their cars at home at night. Solar panels don't work at night. I should know, I install them for a living. That means that most of the energy to charge these cars will be coming from coal, natural gas, and nuclear.
Then there's construction, mining, logging, and farm equipment that isn't parked anywhere near the grid. If that is electrified where are they supposed to charge?

KD4UPL wrote:


A 25 kVA transformer is a common size to supply 1 or more homes. These are roughly rated for 100 amps. If this is what's feeding your home, even if you have a 200 amp service, adding an EV could easily overload the transformer. In households that would have 2 or more drivers and thus multiple cars charging the power company will likely need to upgrade the transformers. In some older neighborhoods it's not uncommon for one 25 kVA transformer to feed several homes; I've seen up to 6 personally.
My vacation house is fed with a 15 kVA transformer. I was looking at putting in a tankless water heater instead of our tank type. A tank type WH uses 4.5 kVA. The size tankless heater I would need was going to be 20 kVA. Obviously I can't run that on a 15 kVA transformer. The power company wanted $5,000 to upgraded it. I"m sticking with my tank type. I had thought about adding an electric car charger at the cabin to make it more appealing to renters. But, after figuring the water heater, well pump, air conditioning, and other loads there wasn't enough capacity for a charger.
This doesn't even address the power company feeders in neighborhoods. If everybody on a cul-de-sac fed by the same feeder gets their electric cars charging at once the feeder will be overwhelmed.
Most people will be charging their cars at home at night. Solar panels don't work at night. I should know, I install them for a living. That means that most of the energy to charge these cars will be coming from coal, natural gas, and nuclear.
Then there's construction, mining, logging, and farm equipment that isn't parked anywhere near the grid. If that is electrified where are they supposed to charge?

Lantley wrote:

We do realize all houses built today in warm climates have central air conditioning. Those without central air survive with windows shakers.
The so called grid in the 1950's was not built for air conditioning.
Somehow the grid as kept up with advancements in technology and comfort.
The thought that the grid will fizzle out because of EV is short sighted.

ronharmless wrote:

The electrical infrastructure serving my house was installed in our backyard in 1953. The main backbone infrastructure has not been upgraded since being installed. Without a very expansive outside financial input, there won’t be a infrastructure update. My backyard is only 1 of a 150 million backyards. Power plants, substations, and transformers are one gargantuan cost, the 150 million last mile(s) are even bigger. No money no bueno.

pianotuna wrote:

I do use an autoformer at my brother's cottage even though there is a 50 amp service for my 30 amp RV. No load voltage is only 107.

I think he would still be able to do level 2 charging on that 50 amp circuit.

The cottage was upgraded when it was moved in 1970 to a 100 amp service. That has now been replaced with a 200 amp service.

He does have 5000 watts of solar panels on a grid tied system.

KD4UPL wrote:

Forget the grid, the electrical infrastructure in most homes and neighborhoods can't handle total conversion to EVs. Many homes still have 60 amp services. Most homes in the US have 100 amp services. A level 2 charger can draw from 30 to about 60 amps depending on the model and the charge level of the car it's charging. This leaves very little service capacity for the other loads in the house. With gas and oil heat being forced out in favor of heat pumps it makes the situation even worse. Most homes in this country will need a new service to handle EVs alone, not to mention full electrification.
A 25 kVA transformer is a common size to supply 1 or more homes. These are roughly rated for 100 amps. If this is what's feeding your home, even if you have a 200 amp service, adding an EV could easily overload the transformer. In households that would have 2 or more drivers and thus multiple cars charging the power company will likely need to upgrade the transformers. In some older neighborhoods it's not uncommon for one 25 kVA transformer to feed several homes; I've seen up to 6 personally.
My vacation house is fed with a 15 kVA transformer. I was looking at putting in a tankless water heater instead of our tank type. A tank type WH uses 4.5 kVA. The size tankless heater I would need was going to be 20 kVA. Obviously I can't run that on a 15 kVA transformer. The power company wanted $5,000 to upgraded it. I"m sticking with my tank type. I had thought about adding an electric car charger at the cabin to make it more appealing to renters. But, after figuring the water heater, well pump, air conditioning, and other loads there wasn't enough capacity for a charger.
This doesn't even address the power company feeders in neighborhoods. If everybody on a cul-de-sac fed by the same feeder gets their electric cars charging at once the feeder will be overwhelmed.
Most people will be charging their cars at home at night. Solar panels don't work at night. I should know, I install them for a living. That means that most of the energy to charge these cars will be coming from coal, natural gas, and nuclear.
Then there's construction, mining, logging, and farm equipment that isn't parked anywhere near the grid. If that is electrified where are they supposed to charge?