Urgent warning for drivers over major issue facing EVs
DRIVERS have been warned of a serious issue that will deal a serious blow to the electric vehicle industry.
The power and energy sector is said to be suffering from an acute problem with the shortage of high-voltage transformers needed for the expansion of the energy grid.
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according to a Daily Telegraph Without the transformers, it will reportedly be difficult to meet the rising demand as countries shift to increasing the use of electric vehicles to meet net-zero targets.
The industry reports lead times for the acquisition of new devices of up to four years.
It is believed that most transformers come from abroad, with China often in control of supply chains.
Electric cars directly impact the shortage of energy minerals, which are essential for making the batteries that power the vehicles.
In the United States, a report by S&P Global found that EV subsidies are likely to exacerbate an existing problem in the coming years.
It is predicted that these subsidies will spur electric vehicle adoption faster than the mining industry can increase supplies of minerals like lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt needed to make the batteries.
The report states: “Inspired by the IRA [Inflation Reduction Act 2022]combined US demand for the critical minerals lithium, nickel and cobalt driven by the energy transition will be 23 times higher in 2035 than in 2021.
“For copper, it will be double that.”
The White House hopes that by 2032, two-thirds of the cars on the road will be electric.
According to a report by Hedges & Co, there were 290 million cars on US roads in 2022.
There are currently around 3 million electric vehicles on the road in the USA.
Estimates suggest that in just nine years there could be more than 200 million electric vehicles on US roads, a 70-fold increase in adoption.
In a relatively short time, the demand in the power grids would increase enormously and the infrastructure would hardly be able to keep up.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in 2021 that doubling US power generation capacity would be needed to handle such a huge surge in EV adoption.
President Joe Biden’s administration also admitted in May that it would need at least 47,000 miles of new high-voltage transmission capacity to expand the grid.
Concerns were raised about how long implementation would take.
There are growing fears that in the not too distant future the US could face a severe self-inflicted energy crisis.
A car expert has warned against buying electric vehicles because they are expensive and take too long to charge.
Elsewhere, a mechanic has also warned against buying an electric vehicle, saying it is fraught with problems.
This comes after a woman revealed she was getting rid of her electric car because it was too uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, a chauffeur claims EVs are ruining his business because they’re problematic even on short journeys.
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