Monday, April 20, 2009

Why fast charging electric cars won't work

We would need enormously more power than we have now. [Link]
Charging electric cars with off-peak power is a fantasy.

Fast recharging times generate lots of excitement, but what seems to be forgotten is that they can lead to a fabulous amount of peak demand.

If you charge an electric car with a battery capacity of 25 kWh during 8 hours, it needs a power output of 3,125 watts. If you charge the same car in just 10 minutes, it needs a power output of 155,000 watts.

Now imagine millions of cars plugging in and charging at once.

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