= $17.33 a gallon? Whoa, Nellie!

[40caliber]

Used to what? We have solar and overproduce currently. Plug-in Prius gets $0/mi on electric.
Our heat pumps are super efficient at heating and cooling too (not much needed, as we're near the coast).

This article is click-bait fearmongering with an agenda. Don't consider it "news", but more "opinion". Look at the url "OPINION" is right there!!!

Oh, and FFS LOL "Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF)" - gee lemme guess, I think they might be a bit pro oil and anti solar/ev. Have they ever considered how unprofitable Texas oil and gas companies would be without government subsidies? Kinda doubt they've done that study.

This thread is political BS and should be nuked. (now there's a green energy we can agree on, I hope )

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[Wilbur]

The article is based on a study that makes certain assumptions, not all of which pertain to the reality most of us inhabit.

One of the underlying concerns that it fails to address is that in the US, but most especially in Texas, the public utilities have not invested in ""maintenance and hygiene" infrastructure functions. By this I mean that over the past three decades, they have only done the bare minimum to keep the grid (mostly) operational.

Rather than continuing to build out the power grid, adding capacity or throughput or redundancy, the public utilities have instead taken their profits and used them for financial engineering. Wealthy public utilities in Texas engaged in regulatory capture rather than ensuring that the power grid could withstand significant weather events, for instance.

Poor political choices, especially in Texas, that focus on short-term profitability for public utility firms over reliability of the grid have resulted in power outages in hot weather as well.

The study mentioned by the OP takes all the capital costs of catching up for the neglect of the power infrastructure over the past three or four decades and aggregates it in order to provide a modern grid capable of operating in all weather and providing for the demands of today's world, including EVs, not just that of 1979 plus some bandages.

In short, here in the States we don't have a power grid that reflects our actual demand for electricity, because the "public" utilities have failed in their duty to provide the public goods that they were designed to support.

 

[bbhaag]

The article is based on a study that makes certain assumptions, not all of which pertain to the reality most of us inhabit.

One of the underlying concerns that it fails to address is that in the US, but most especially in Texas, the public utilities have not invested in ""maintenance and hygiene" infrastructure functions. By this I mean that over the past three decades, they have only done the bare minimum to keep the grid (mostly) operational.

Rather than continuing to build out the power grid, adding capacity or throughput or redundancy, the public utilities have instead taken their profits and used them for financial engineering. Wealthy public utilities in Texas engaged in regulatory capture rather than ensuring that the power grid could withstand significant weather events, for instance.

Poor political choices, especially in Texas, that focus on short-term profitability for public utility firms over reliability of the grid have resulted in power outages in hot weather as well.

The study mentioned by the OP takes all the capital costs of catching up for the neglect of the power infrastructure over the past three or four decades and aggregates it in order to provide a modern grid capable of operating in all weather and providing for the demands of today's world, including EVs, not just that of 1979 plus some bandages.

In short, here in the States we don't have a power grid that reflects our actual demand for electricity, because the "public" utilities have failed in their duty to provide the public goods that they were designed to support.

Yeah but your kind of level headed reasoning doesn't sound nearly as cool as........


= $17.33 a gallon? Whoa, Nellie!

 

[TrailMaster]

As OP, I'd like to say the study was posted because it caught my eye when browsing the morning news today. I figured other people interested in automobiles might find it interesting. I figured it might lead to discussion which is fine by me. Try to keep it civil, I did not post to invite trolling from either side.

 

[Esteban88]

Always look at the source. The article was published by the Texas Public Policy Foundation which lobbies for the oil and gas industry.

 

[GPSMan]

I guess you miss where California says stop using your air-conditioning and charging your EV because their grade was too stressed on hot days during the summer pretty simple to understand that the US is definitely not ready with infrastructure for all the Evies that have to be plugged in and probably never will be all their requirements of going completely gassed free by 2035 is nothing more than posturing.

I live here. ^^^ This is incorrect.

I actually drove an EV for 6 years and 60,000 gas free miles. In California. It cost me 3 cents per miles. In California, Bay Area, where there are more public charging stations than gas stations.

 

[GPSMan]

As OP, I'd like to say the study was posted because it caught my eye when browsing the morning news today. I figured other people interested in automobiles might find it interesting. I figured it might lead to discussion which is fine by me. Try to keep it civil, I did not post to invite trolling from either side.

Liar liar pants on fire!

 

[bbhaag]

Always look at the source. The article was published by the Texas Public Policy Foundation which lobbies for the oil and gas industry.

NO WAY!?!?!

 

[TheGoodEgg]

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is a conservative think tank based in Austin, Texas.[2] The organization was founded in 1989 by James R. Leininger, who sought intellectual support for his education reform ideas, including public school vouchers.[3] Projects of the organization include Right on Crime, which is focused on criminal justice reform,[4] and Fueling Freedom, which seeks to "explain the forgotten moral case for fossil fuels"[5] by rejecting the scientific consensus on climate change.[6]

Does it matter if they do any study? Why not just say that Jesus said EV is for the devil and that's all you need... For the rest of us who think that critical thinking is an actual skill, the "study" smells kinda funny... but then, who gives a crap, believe whatever you want ...

 

[TrailMaster]

Liar liar pants on fire!

Hey now, there you go with name calling. I might have to report you to the admins, put you on ignore, find a safe space and tribal scream.

Kidding. Not how I roll.

 

[Southern92]

People who keep saying our infrastructure is not ready for EVs don't quite get it (or are ignoring it). IMO the VAST majority of people who can charge at home, do! Because it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to charge overnight when, you guessed it, the demand for electricity is significantly lower! I've been driving EVs for 8 years and 99% of my charging is done at home overnight.
I strongly suspect those who can't charge at home will charge at the intersection of (most convenient) & (least expensive). Which again will be when electricity demand is lower.
The U.S. electricity grid could use an upgrade, but everyone isn't going to switch to EVs overnight, & ICE cars are not going anywhere for a while....

 

[GPSMan]

CA has so much solar power fossil fuel generating stations have to shut down or significantly ramp down during the day, and you guessed it; ramp back up at night.

Ramping a few dozen GigaWatts isn't exactly easy.

Charging at night USED to be the way to do it, and may still be the way in some geographical areas. Not in sunny California.

 

[Wilbur]

People who keep saying our infrastructure is not ready for EVs don't quite get it (or are ignoring it). IMO the VAST majority of people who can charge at home, do! Because it is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to charge overnight when, you guessed it, the demand for electricity is significantly lower! I've been driving EVs for 8 years and 99% of my charging is done at home overnight.
I strongly suspect those who can't charge at home will charge at the intersection of (most convenient) & (least expensive). Which again will be when electricity demand is lower.
The U.S. electricity grid could use an upgrade, but everyone isn't going to switch to EVs overnight, & ICE cars are not going anywhere for a while....

I agree that charging at home is the real-world scenario.

The public charging question is a whole different scenario, and I am sure that for people who live in apartments, it is a significant issue.

My point is that the power infrastructure of the US grid as a whole is old, creaky and underdeveloped, so that in many locations, including and especially Texas, it is a marginal case as to how many homes it can support.

 

[TrailMaster]

I agree that charging at home is the real-world scenario.

The public charging question is a whole different scenario, and I am sure that for people who live in apartments, it is a significant issue.

My point is that the power infrastructure of the US grid as a whole is old, creaky and underdeveloped, so that in many locations, including and especially Texas, it is a marginal case as to how many homes it can support.

So we'll upgrade it, presto change-o! It should be all ready by the time those eagerly anticipated fifth generation EVs arrive!

 

[Scott Asheville]

https://spectrum.ieee.org/collections/the-ev-transition-explained/

I recommend that everyone on this thread read and digest this IEEE Spectrum series on the electric car conversion journey we're all undertaking together. Then make up your own mind - at least you'll have higher quality data to work with.

Caution: you must be able to read beyond the comic book level.

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