Transportation experts are concerned about the electricity demands of electric vehicles during large natural disaster evacuations

[ChildofLight]

Transportation experts are concerned about the electricity demands of electric vehicles during large natural disaster evacuations

Experts in the transportation industry are concerned about the use of electric vehicles during large natural disaster evacuations. With more consumers switching to EVs, the demand for accessible electricity and charging stations increases.

During the first quarter of 2022, new car registrations dropped by 18%. However, at the same time, new electric vehicle registrations increased by 60%, Automotive News reported.

The growing popularity of the EV market has some experts concerned about how the vehicles would perform during massive evacuation scenarios. Specifically, transportation experts considered hurricane, earthquake, and wildfire disasters.

According to FuelEconomy.gov, the average electric vehicle can travel more than 100 miles on a full charge, with some models reaching 300 miles. Most EVs take approximately three to twelve hours to recharge. Rapid-charging EVs are capable of recharging in as quickly as 30 minutes.

The journal Transportation Research published a report in 2020 examining the challenges of utilizing EV vehicles during a hurricane evacuation in Florida. The report found, “Florida would face a serious challenge in power supply, with its six out of nine main power authorities, especially those in the mid-Florida, being short of power during the evacuation process.” It explained that an overload of the power supply would initiate a “cascading failure of the entire power network.”

EV Resource attempted to debunk the Transportation Research report by claiming that gas and electric vehicles would face similar problems during a power outage. The article stated that payment processing systems and pumps rely on electricity to refuel gas vehicles. It also mentioned that, in the case of a hurricane, there would be enough warning to refuel EVs with rapid-charge capabilities.

A case study conducted by Roxanne Peterson and Mohamed Awwad of the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University examined California’s current charging capacity for short-notice evacuation scenarios, including wildfires and earthquakes.

“Both are short-notice events that have the potential to knock out the power grid with no warning, making it especially difficult, if not impossible, to charge a Battery Electric Vehicle,” the report said.

While experts have not been able to solve the power demands of electric vehicles during natural disaster evacuations, many are suggesting the installation of more charging stations and the upgrading of some existing stations.

Peterson's and Awwad’s report stated, “Level 3 charging stations are much more expensive than level 2 charging stations and put a greater burden on the electric grid, which is not a good thing in evacuation scenarios. Instead, an even balance of Level 2 and Level 3 chargers was found to help alleviate this issue.”

As EVs become more widely adopted across the country, the potential emergency evacuation challenge grows more pressing.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/trans...utm_term=ACTIVE LIST - TheBlaze Breaking News

 

[Baby Yoda]

Both are short-notice events that have the potential to knock out the power grid with no warning, making it especially difficult, if not impossible, to charge a Battery Electric Vehicle,” the report said.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Hybrids make sense. Until you can charge a battery in 5 minutes or less and travel 500 miles or more on the charge, I don't think electric vehicles are a good option, except for people who only ever travel short distances and who don't live in areas where they might be ordered to evacuate for some natural disaster.

 

[lightofmylife]

We The People are concerned about the fact we can't afford an electric vehicle or the battery charger. I feel like I am living in a nightmare, and when I wake up the dream is actually real.

 

[Everlasting Life]

Hybrids make sense. Until you can charge a battery in 5 minutes or less and travel 500 miles or more on the charge, I don't think electric vehicles are a good option, except for people who only ever travel short distances and who don't live in areas where they might be ordered to evacuate for some natural disaster.

I agree. Having options and not putting all your eggs in one basket seems to be a better plan.

 

[NewWine2020]

Hybrids make sense. Until you can charge a battery in 5 minutes or less and travel 500 miles or more on the charge, I don't think electric vehicles are a good option, except for people who only ever travel short distances and who don't live in areas where they might be ordered to evacuate for some natural disaster.

I don't know why they don't dump billion$ into optimizing & perfecting EV's to the point where (performance wise) they actually DO exceed the practicality and affordability of gas cars?

I don't think ANY of us are simply opposed to EV's on principal, (it would be amazing to tell the Saudi's where they can shove their oil for good!)

BUT we are opposed to having something that makes no sense and is unaffordable to so many people literally forced upon us.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I don't know why they don't dump billion$ into optimizing & perfecting EV's to the point where (performance wise) they actually DO exceed the practicality and affordability of gas cars?

There are a lot of people/startups/companies working on that. Someday EVs may be the cat's meow, maybe even quite soon, but right now they're expensive, horrible for the environment, and of limited utility. Of course, once they are the cat's meow, we'll need the infrastructure to create enough electricity for the additional need.

 

[pixelpusher]

There are a lot of people/startups/companies working on that. Someday EVs may be the cat's meow, maybe even quite soon, but right now they're expensive, horrible for the environment, and of limited utility. Of course, once they are the cat's meow, we'll need the infrastructure to create enough electricity for the additional need.

I wonder how many charges off a single bolt of lightning. If we could figure out how to capture, store, and step down voltage...

 

[Tall Timbers]

I wonder how many charges off a single bolt of lightning. If we could figure out how to capture, store, and step down voltage...

I think about that sometimes. I'll bet there's a way to set up a station to capture the energy in lightening. Once it gets figured out you could set up collection stations wherever there are frequent lightening storms (midwest, for example) and you'd probably have more than enough energy to meet the country's needs and least during storm season.

 

[ChildofLight]

The laughable “experts” need to figure out how to recycle wind turbines and all the batteries that will go in the landfills.
Can’t imagine purchasing EV batteries as just a regular vehicle battery only last barely 2 years now. I thought they used to last longer.

 

[biblegirl]

Living in a hurricane prone area next to a major evacuation route, I can only imagine the nightmare of trying to flee a hurricane in an electric car. All the evacuation routes originating from the coastal parts of Texas suffered major clogging during the evacuation for Hurricane Rita. We lived further from the coast then, so my parents evacuated to our home. What normally was a four hour drive took them over 12 hours, and they took back roads instead of the highways The major routes were so congested that countless people ran out of gas. One hundred and ten people died from the disastrous evacuation before the storm even hit. If that happened with gasoline powered cars that can be quickly filled when they reach a gas pump, it only makes sense that trying to recharge electric cars would only add to the danger of getting so many people to safety. I hope I never see that scenario unfold.

 

[fl2007rn]

Living in a hurricane prone area next to a major evacuation route, I can only imagine the nightmare of trying to flee a hurricane in an electric car. All the evacuation routes originating from the coastal parts of Texas suffered major clogging during the evacuation for Hurricane Rita. We lived further from the coast then, so my parents evacuated to our home. What normally was a four hour drive took them over 12 hours, and they took back roads instead of the highways The major routes were so congested that countless people ran out of gas. One hundred and ten people died from the disastrous evacuation before the storm even hit. If that happened with gasoline powered cars that can be quickly filled when they reach a gas pump, it only makes sense that trying to recharge electric cars would only add to the danger of getting so many people to safety. I hope I never see that scenario unfold.

I live in Central Florida and was thinking the same as you. I can't imagine having millions of people trying to evacuate Florida and we are all driving electric vehicles. I would never want to be stuck on the side of a highway during a hurricane.

 

[fl2007rn]

I wonder how many charges off a single bolt of lightning. If we could figure out how to capture, store, and step down voltage...

Florida is the lightning capital of the world. Just last night we had a 2 hour storm and I held my dog in bed because she was so scared. It would truly be something if they could learn how to harness that power!

 

[Jaybird]

But if we don't stop using cars powered by fossil fuels RIGHT NOW we will all be dead by 2029 according to the the scientific community due to the horrific effects of climate change. Really! If you don't believe me ask a democrat!

 

[Tall Timbers]

But if we don't stop using cars powered by fossil fuels RIGHT NOW we will all be dead by 2029 according to the the scientific community due to the horrific effects of climate change. Really! If you don't believe me ask a democrat!

If we switch to electric cars we'd have to move the dead by date up because all things considered electric vehicles are probly worse for the environment.

 

[NewWine2020]

But if we don't stop using cars powered by fossil fuels RIGHT NOW we will all be dead by 2029 according to the the scientific community due to the horrific effects of climate change. Really! If you don't believe me ask a democrat!

I thought that most of the coastal areas were supposed to be lost to the ocean by now per the Dim approved $cientists....I love how the party of science gets to pick and choose which science (and junk science) gets a platform and validation, even if their hypothesis is proven wrong over and over again.

 

[alisani]

I thought that most of the coastal areas were supposed to be lost to the ocean by now per the Dim approved $cientists....I love how the party of science gets to pick and choose which science (and junk science) gets a platform and validation, even if their hypothesis is proven wrong over and over again.

Money and ego.

 

[DWB]

I don't think battery powered cars are the answer. Just too expensive, an environmental problem for disposing, takes too long to charge, and the range is short.

 

[Medowmuffin]

During disasters getting the grid back up is began immediately. They begin as soon as they can but that process can take quite a while. I volunteered at some large disasters and you just can’t imagine unless you see it close up. Some areas never recover. ATMs down for quite some time. Many cars are lost. They would need a huge amount of generators hauled in there besides what u would normally have to have to keep vehicles running.

 

[Armor of Light]

a regular vehicle battery only last barely 2 years now. I thought they used to last longer.

Many years ago a top of the line battery would have a 60 month rating, and some would actually last that long. I'm changing my batteries out every 3 years now or sooner if we have long periods of sub zero followed by high summer temps in the 100*s, that's tough on a battery especially with all the hi tech electronic gear vehicles run now.