Energy infrastructure not ready for the EV future, research shows

Utility company National Grid has conducted research that casts doubt on the preparedness of energy infrastructure to meet the coming demand.

With states like New York and California setting aggressive deadlines for halting sales of gas-powered vehicles and companies such as Ford and GM spending massive sums of money to compete with other EV automakers, many critics, including National Grid, are concerned that the energy infrastructure will not meet the country’s needs.

Taking fuel data from gas stations in New York and New England, National Grid computed the current energy consumption of gas vehicles and used this to determine the amount of electricity needed for EVs, assuming they populate the market in keeping with projections. The company reported that the electricity charging stations would need to provide will equal that of a stadium by 2030.

Vice President of National Grid’s clean energy development, Bart Franey, concluded that “The market is going to outpace the infrastructure.” Energy infrastructure updates are reportedly stalling, with automakers, dealerships, consumers and agencies debating who should bear the burden. This isn’t to say that the money is not there to avoid falling behind. In August, the federal government committed $5 billion in investments to install charging stations across the country. There are also talks at the local level for updating the energy infrastructure, and the tax credits from the new Inflation Reduction Act are expected to generate enough profit for future investments.

However, unless that money begins to move soon or alternatives are found, the U.S., according to National Grid, will be unable to meet the goals it has set for itself. Consumers may be forced to rely on gasoline longer than expected.

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