Exports of electricity in France in TW.h (credits RTE)
Energy and power of the photovoltaïcs capabilities in 2011 (credits RTE) (credits RTE)
Energy and power of the wind turbines capabilities in 2011 (credits RTE)
Full electric and plugin hybrid car forecasts.
credits RTE CGDD - ministère de l'écologie et du développement durable n°41 may 2011
A lot of figures circulate about electric cars, in particular on its ecological impact.
It has been heard for example in a TV broadcast that not less than 18 nuclear power plants were necessary. Such figures circulate without any check nor updates. They convey an erroneous information which deserves a development based on the facts.
1. Electrical energy consumed annually by an EV
On the basis of 150 W.h / km by including the charger efficiency and the electricity transport losses (8%) and an annual mileage of 12500 km (average mileage in France), what implies an annual consumption of 1.875 kW.h by vehicle.
According to the forecasts of the Ministry of Ecology we can hope to have 1 million vehicles in 2017, 2 millions in 2020 and 5.5 millions in 2025 (by VP on 2012 = 31.55 millions).
2. Annual production by sector(network) / Millions plugged Vehicles ( MVéhicules)
A. 1 EPR nuclear reactor 1650 MW: 11.6 TW.h / 6.2 MVéhicules
B. Hydraulic production: 67 TW.h / 35.7 Mvéhicules
C. Wind production 2011: 11.9 TW.h / 6.3 MVéhicules (+ 23 % / 2010)
D. Renewable Thermal production (biogases, waste) on 2011: 5.6 TW.h / 3 MVéhicules (+ 12 % / 2010)
E. Production photovolatïque on 2011: 1.8 TW.h / 960 000 Vehicles (200 % / 2010)
3. Energy production
In the medium term (2025-2030) the most optimistic estimations state on 5 in 6 million full electric or plugin hybrid vehicles that must be fed by the energy...
of a single nuclear EPR reactor or
an increase of 87 % of the wind capacity of 2011
a multiplication by 6 of the photovoltaic capacity (notice: multiplied by 3 between 2010 and 2011)
If 50 % of the French car fleet came to be electrified (very distant hypothesis on 2035 at best), 2 EPR reactor would be enough or increase by 2.5 of the wind capacity.
4. Exports
In 2012, the French exports of electrical energy amounted to 55 TW.h, a sufficiency to feed 29 million vehicles (92 % of the park VP). The same quantity thus establishes(constitutes) an additional reserve to feed so many full electric cars or plugin hybrid vehicles.
Conclusion
To find the energy to feed the park arising from full electric cars vehicles is not a problem. A EPR reactor is sufficient to provide a mature part of electric motor cars.
A renewable mix of energies is also capable of supplying this energy, account held by the growth rate of the installations.
In reality the challenge which appears consists in building an intelligent (smartgrid) network using advisedly the deferred capacities of load or reinjection on network of electric and plugin hybrid vehicles.
What energy for supplying electric and plugin hybrid vehicles?
Charging infrastructure
Réalisations