DOE: US plug-in vehicles consumed nearly 3 TWh of electricity in 2018
07 May 2019
The amount of electricity consumed by plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) in the United States has nearly doubled in the last two years—from 1.44 terawatt-hours in 2016 to 2.85 terawatt-hours in 2018, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE).
The share of electricity consumption from all-electric vehicles (EV) increased compared to the electricity consumption from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). In 2018, EV accounted for 61% of all PEV electricity consumption while PHEV accounted for the remaining 39%.
Electricity consumption of US plug-in EVs, 2010-2018. Includes only light-duty vehicles. Source: Argonne National Laboratory, Assessment of Light-Duty Plug-In Electric Vehicles in the United States, 2010–2018, ANL/ESD-19/2, March 2019.
By way of comparison, the US consumes about 4200 TW-hr/yr. We have a long way to go before our ground transport is electrified.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 07 May 2019 at 04:11 AM
To put it an other way, a handy (unverified) online converter tells me this is the equivalent of 0.84 million barrels of oil. It's not nothing, but it's also not a lot. Yet.
Posted by: Bernard | 07 May 2019 at 04:52 AM
If you convert all that 4200 TWhs/yrs to Barrels of Oil and then figure about 80% is lost in the atmosphere as heat and exhaust gas, you can see why we are changing the Earth for the worse and need to change.
Posted by: Lad | 07 May 2019 at 11:31 AM
Actually, the 4200 TWh/yr is what's LEFT after converting most of it from natural gas, coal and (yes) a bit of oil.
I'm working on a sketch of a scheme to put a lot of that to work. Trying to figure out the messy details of the thermo for an example system. To say it won't be optimised is an understatement, but I hope to get something close enough to be in the ballpark.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 07 May 2019 at 11:44 AM
By the end of 2018, USA had between 900,000 and 1,100,000 BEVs + PHEVs in operation, using close to 3 TWh/year.
With a fully electrified fleet, USA's ground vehicles would consume about 240X more or about 720 TWh/year for a total of 4920 KWh/year.
Since the turn over from ICEVs to electrified vehicles (PHEVs-BEVs-FCEVs) will take another 30 to 40+ years, USA could easily install enough REs to produce an extra 720 TWh/year by 2045/2055 or so.
Of course, a few dozen new NPPs could help, if the initial and on going cost can be reduced by 50% to 66%.
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 May 2019 at 07:09 PM
CORRECTION:
a total of 4920 KWh should read 4920 TWh.
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 May 2019 at 07:10 PM