Engineering Explained: If Gas cars are banned, Can The Grid Handle Electric Cars?

[HaulingAss]

This is something I have always thought about, thank you Jason for doing the math

Jason's video makes a pretty serious error of omission in his calculations regarding the amount of additional electricity that would be required if EV's displaced ICE cars. Specifically, ICE cars actually consume quite a bit of electricity that would no longer be required if they weren't driving around.

Oil refineries are substantial consumers of electricity. Certainly, we would still have some oil refineries for plastics, planes, etc. but the portion of electricity consumed for gasoline in the refining process must be backed out. Refineries use so much electricity from the grid they have their own power substations. They also use huge amounts of water which is typically pumped to the refineries with electric pumps and treated at water treatment plants that use electricity. As these refineries shut down it will eliminate a surprising amount of electrical demand.

Really, electricity is consumed every step of the way when it comes to ICE vehicles and the gas and oil they consume. Most oil derricks in the US run on grid electricity. It takes a lot of energy to pump that oil out of the rock formations that contain it, sometimes at great depths. Much of that oil gets to the refineries via pipelines with huge electric pumps. Gas stations consume a surprising amount just pumping the gasoline from their underground tanks. Oil change shops use electricity to lift vehicles before draining the oil several times per year, per car. And there is the heating and lighting for all facilities that cater to servicing and fueling ICE cars. The amount of electricity consumption that EV's displace is significant and that should be backed out of the equation when estimating increased electrical demand due to transition from ICE to EV's.