Will EVs Break the US Electrical Grid? Not With These Changes, MIT Study Says

pcmag.com:

Electric vehicle adoption can reduce US reliance on fossil fuels, but the technology has its own set of challenges, like charging EVs overloading the electrical grid, leading to increased energy costs.

A new study(Opens in a new window) from MIT argues that the key to avoiding a meltdown will be spreading out demand on the grid(Opens in a new window). After modeling hourly electricity demand in Dallas and New York City, researchers identified ways to do that without asking drivers to alter their routines, and by using tech that's already available.

The main issue with adding more EVs to the current power system is creating peaks in electrical usage, which may exceed available supply.

Imagine: a whole neighborhood of 9-5 workers get home, plug their vehicles in, turn the lights on in the house, take a shower, watch TV, etc. Now, in addition to to the typical evening power uses, each person is also charging up a large battery—heightening an existing consumption peak.

"The electricity grid may reach generation and distribution limits at certain times, potentially leading to transformer blowouts, electricity shortages, or reliance on expensive peaking plants to maintain supply," the study says. "This might occur if, for example, peak charging coincides with peak residential electricity demand in the early evening during higher-demand summer months."

Reducing grid demand has two components. First, staggering charging times, and setting up automated systems to delay the time vehicles begin charging. For example, drivers can plug in their vehicles after arriving home from work, when many other drivers do, but set the charge to initiate later through a mobile app (and ensure there's enough charge in the morning).

"Delayed home