Clean Firm Power for Electric Vehicles

A major increase in electric vehicle (EV) deployment will lead to an even greater strain on an overburdened power grid that is unable to handle today’s increasingly severe extreme weather events, as the world recently witnessed in Texas this February and Europe this January. Whether EVs are environmentally beneficial or not will depend on the sources of electricity that power them, and this policy decision needs to be made quickly. Vehicle manufacturers, consumers, advocacy organizations, and governmental entities all have a role to play in these imminent policy decisions.

A major increase in electric vehicle (EV) deployment will lead to an even greater strain on an overburdened power grid that is unable to handle today’s increasingly severe extreme weather events, as the world recently witnessed in Texas this February and Europe this January. Whether EVs are environmentally beneficial or not will depend on the sources of electricity that power them, and this policy decision needs to be made quickly. Vehicle manufacturers, consumers, advocacy organizations, and governmental entities all have a role to play in these imminent policy decisions.

Consumer demand for EVs remains strong—even through the COVID-19 pandemic—with Tesla reporting an increase in sales since March 2020 and posting a record sales quarter in Q4 2020. A recent McKinsey report estimates that EV demand will accelerate in China and continue to build momentum in Europe. And while overall EV sales have stagnated in the United States, analysts anticipate stronger EV growth under the Biden-Harris administration.

It is unlikely that short-term battery storage, wind and solar power, and electricity generation efficiencies alone can fill this gap. These technologies need to be paired with distributed, zero-carbon baseload capacity. The debate about what other technologies can meet anticipated demand and fill the void is just beginning. Contenders for distributed, baseload clean energy generation include geothermal, hydroelectric, and nuclear power.