“An Electric Car Can Draw as Much Power as a Small House”
Decatur Metro | November 30, 2010 | 3:29 pmHmm, this could certainly prove problematic for electric utilities and their consumers in the short-term…
Nationwide, utilities have enough power plants and equipment to power hundreds of thousands of electric cars. Problems could crop up long before that many are sold, though, because of a phenomenon carmakers and utilities call “clustering.”
Electric vehicle clusters are expected in neighborhoods where:
— Generous subsidies are offered by states and localities
— Weather is mild, because batteries tend to perform better in warmer climates
— High-income and environmentally conscious commuters live
…Adding an electric vehicle or two to a neighborhood can be like adding another house, and it can stress the equipment that services those houses. “We’re talking about doubling the load of a conventional home,” says Karl Rabago, who leads Austin Energy’s electric vehicle-readiness program. “It’s big.”
Sounds like Decatur’s most wealthy and eco-conscious neighborhoods need to host meetings, take a straw polls, and see how many people have a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt on order!