U.S. Electric Car Dominance Coming: Electric Grid Ready?

The consensus is that electric cars will dominate new vehicle sales in coming decades.

I’m glad. Though I don’t own an automobile and have no plans to buy one, I look forward to breathing cleaner air while walking, bicycling, waiting at bus stops, etc., due to the absence of emissions from vehicle tail pipes.

As mass production of electric vehicles ramps up, their prices will drop. Furthermore, improvements in batteries and chargers will enable the cars to charge faster and to travel further between charges.

Will the U.S. Electric Grid Support 100% Electric Vehicles?

Plans are underway to greatly expand the number of charging stations and to upgrade the electrical grid to accommodate the extra demand.

But concerns raised over whether the United States electric grid is capable of handling the extra load that would occur if 100% of vehicles were electric may be exaggerated. A November 2019 report [1] on the Department of Energy website anticipates the electrical grid providing enough capacity to meet the extra demand that will occur when all (or almost all) autos are electric.

Estimates vary widely on how much making all vehicles electric will increase the load on the electric grid. I’ve seen estimates from 10% to 100%, with about a 25% increase being a common estimate.

With blackouts already occurring sometimes in some places (California, etc.), how will the electric grid accommodate these electric vehicles?

It’s generally agreed that the current electric grid would not accommodate charging all those vehicles at the same time during peak electrical usage. But all electric vehicles would not be charged every day, and to encourage charging them at off-peak times, electric utilities could offer different rates for charging them at different times. A Forbes article [2] claims this would enable the grid to accommodate them. A key is ensuring vehicles primarily charge at off-peak times (maybe while persons sleep overnight and other electric devices are being used less?).

Furthermore, the changeover from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles will take decades. Even if all new cars sold become electric ones in a decade or two, it will likely take another decade or more after that for almost all existing gasoline-powered cars to wear out and be replaced. This allows time for modifications to the electric grid to accommodate the electric vehicles' extra power use.

What About Pollution When Fossil-Fuel Electric Plants Recharge Electric Cars?

In many areas, including Lexington, Kentucky where I live, most electricity generating plants are powered by fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). However, even when fossil-fueled power plants produce the electricity for recharging electric cars, there is less net pollution caused by electric vehicles than by gasoline-powered cars in most areas of the world, including the United States, according to a June 2020 Nature Sustainability article [3].

An EPA webpage [4] dispels many myths about electric vehicles. Among other things, the webpage notes that electric vehicles typically pollute less than gasoline-powered ones even allowing for a fossil-fuel-powered electrical grid and for the energy used to manufacture electric cars' batteries.

Electric Vehicles and Chargers Are Improving

Advances are leading to faster battery charging times, longer driving ranges between charges, and cheaper prices for electric vehicles. These advances will likely accelerate as mass production of electric vehicles ramps up.

In addition to electric cars, increased use of electric buses, trucks, and vans is occurring. More chargers are coming to accommodate them.

Below is a picture that I think I took June 8, 2021 of one of the chargers for electric Lexington, Kentucky city buses.

Though most Lexington city bus service (Lextran) buses are still diesel-powered, there are some diesel-electric hybrid powered, some compressed natural gas powered, and I hope there will soon be an increasing number of electric powered ones.

Even electric 18-wheelers are being built. A March 22, 2022 Colorado Department of Transportation news release [5] announced that electric 18-wheelers would soon be coming to the state, stating that Nikola Tre trucks to be sold in the state would have "a range of up to 350 miles" between charges.

Electric semi-trucks can work out well for short routes according to a Canary Media article [6] and other sources, though battery life doesn’t yet permit use on long routes.

However, efforts are underway to reduce the time to charge electric vehicle batteries. For example, a new charging cable developed at Purdue University [7] may allow cars to be charged in less than five minutes if it lives up to expectations.

Closing Thoughts

As I see it, new electric vehicles are likely to be mass produced and outsell their gasoline-powered competitors within a decade or two. Improvements in battery-life and chargers will enable these new electric vehicles to be recharged as fast as a car gas tank can be filled and to drive as far between recharges as a gasoline-powered car can between fill-ups.

ENDNOTES:

[1] “Summary Report on EVs at Scale and the U.S. Electric Power System”; November 2019; Energy.gov; webpage accessed July 26, 2022; https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/12/f69/GITT%20ISATT%20EVs%20at%20Scale%20Grid%20Summary%20Report%20FINAL%20Nov2019.pdf.

[2] Morris, James; “Electricity Grids Can Handle Electric Vehicles Easily – They Just Need Proper Management”; Forbes; July 13, 2021; webpage accessed July 25, 2022; https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmorris/2021/11/13/electricity-grids-can-handle-electric-vehicles-easily--they-just-need-proper-management/?sh=4b8a09a57862.

[3] Knobloch, Florian; Hanssen, Steef V.; Lam, Aileen; Pollitt, Hector; Salas, Pablo; Chewpreechah, Unada; Huijbregts, Mark A. J.; and Mercure, Jean-Francois; “Net emission reductions from electric cars and heat pumps in 59 world regions over time”; Nature Sustainability; June 2020; Vol. 3, pages 437-447; webpage accessed July 25, 2022; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-0488-7.epdf?shared_access_token=4HVrFlvKvrUrkik37QDrHNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OMBHrNGD6k2npei17x4aWW28rGsQX6mDMk4uVBOBG-qCojvkQyjh434dPvXp7ULPURDTxD_zdRyr5LDQB18mR-o3_0tqT_xsIWbcYUw5V5vQ%3D%3D.

[4] “Electric Vehicle Myths”; United States Environmental Protection Agency; last updated June 30, 2022; webpage accessed July 26, 2022; https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/electric-vehicle-myths.

[5] “Colorado Welcomes Arrival of New Zero-Emissions Big Rigs”; Colorado Department of Transportation; news release; March 22, 2022; webpage accessed July 26, 2022; https://www.codot.gov/news/2022/march/colorado-welcomes-arrival-of-zero-emissions-big-rigs.

[6] “Electric heavy-duty trucks are hitting the roads in California and beyond”; Canary Media; May 17, 2022; webpage accessed July 26, 2022; https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electric-vehicles/electric-heavy-duty-trucks-are-hitting-the-roads-in-california-and-beyond.

[7] “Electric vehicles could fully recharge in under 5 minutes with new charging station cable design”; Purdue University; November 10, 2021; webpage accessed July 26, 2022; https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2021/Q4/electric-vehicles-could-fully-recharge-in-under-5-minutes-with-new-charging-station-cable-design.html

Abortion: What About Young Children Becoming Pregnant?

The June 24th, 2022 United States Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade has led to much discussion. One topic is “What about young kids who become pregnant in states where virtually all abortion is banned?”

The Supreme Court builiding is pictured below in a June 21, 2019 photo.

The issue got national attention after a pregnant 10-year-old Ohio girl denied an abortion in her state went to Indiana to obtain one, as reported on numerous news websites, including the Columbus Dispatch.[1]

Few Abortions Involve Moms Under Age 15

First of all, while pro-choice persons emphasize cases like this 10-year-old girl’s situation, abortions (and pregnancies) are rare among young children. Only 0.2% of abortions in 2019 involved persons under age 15 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[2]

The 0.2% figure means that only 1 out of every 500 abortions involved a mother under age 15. Most of those children were likely teenagers ages 13-14, not 10-year-olds.

Seek to Prevent and Report Sexual Abuse

Secondly, ideally, all pregnancies among children would be prevented. If the child doesn’t get pregnant, neither abortion nor an unwanted child come about.

Teaching the importance of sexual abstinence to children, and getting them to quickly report cases of sexual abuse to a trusted adult could go a long way toward achieving this.

Voluntary sexual activity of children with peers is harmful and needs to be prevented. Rape and sexual abuse of children by adults and older children is a terrible tragedy.

Plan B Is an Alternative

For those rare cases when a young child is raped, Plan B or the morning-after pill, is still legal despite the United States Supreme Court ruling, as reported by USA Today[3] and numerous other news sources. It is effective taken within three days after intercourse.

But the child needs to quickly report the rape to a responsible, trusted adult to obtain treatment. Understandably, this isn’t always easy, especially if the guilty party is an adult relative and the child is young.

Obviously, preventing abuse of children is key and eliminates the pregnancies and the desire for abortions. If ardent pro-choice (and pro-life) individuals focused as much on sexual abstinence, sex education, and creating a safe environment for children to report abuse, as they do on abortion, we might virtually eliminate child pregnancies.

Young Moms, Even a 5-Year-Old Who Gave Birth

Young children who become pregnant, elect to carry their unborn child to term, and give birth, do face more health risks than older mothers. Children’s babies face higher health risks than those born to older moms too. But quality prenatal care reduces the risks for both moms and babies.

Many young children do give birth safely to healthy babies. LiveScience [4] reported in 2011 that “twelve-year-old mothers aren’t unusual in some parts of the world.”

Indeed, the mental and emotional health risks are probably greater than the physical ones to young moms. Most young mothers physically give birth safely, especially if they get good prenatal care.

But children typically are not mentally, emotionally, and financially able to be parents. It would be unfair to expect them to be.

Preventing rape and sexual abuse are keys. Furthermore, since it isn’t reasonable to expect a child to be a parent, adoption is the best choice for babies of children.

The youngest verified age of giving birth is that of Lina Medina, as reported by numerous news sources. She was only 5 years old when she gave birth in May 1939. Wow!

She went through precocious puberty (early puberty), was raped, and gave birth via Cesarean section. You can read more about her case in Time,[5] The Sun,[6] WomenintheWorld.org,[7] and numerous other news sources. Snopes.com[8] verified her story as true.

Prevent Unwanted Pregnancies

I’m not a medical professional, so I can’t give any medical advice. But regarding abortion, I think our number one goal is to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Even pro-choice persons prefer avoiding the pain, expense, and health risk of an abortion.

In cases where undesired pregnancies occur, carrying the baby to term and then giving it up for adoption is a wonderful option.

Safely Dropping Off Unwanted Newborns

Safe Haven Baby Boxes[9] “staffs a 24-hour hotline (1-866-99BABY1)” that persons can phone about “safely surrendering their baby.” As a last resort, they also have drop-off boxes in many locations where moms can “safely, securely, and anonymously surrender” their newborn baby. According to the website the boxes are in the exterior walls of certain fire stations and hospitals.

All fifty states have safe haven laws to encourage dropping off newborns at a safe place according to information on ChildWelfare.gov,[10] and other sources. The website ChildWelfare.gov[10] provides details, including information about what are considered safe locations in various states.

Abortion Is Just a Symptom of the Underlying Problem

Abortion is just a symptom of the underlying problem of selfish sexual lust. Pro-life persons, including me, typically don’t just support life for the unborn baby.

We also usually advocate eliminating the underlying problems of selfish sexual promiscuity, supporting quality prenatal care, and making adoption available as an option for parents unable to care for a newborn child.

Closing Thoughts

Relatively few young children become pregnant. But there are still far too many. Personally, I think even age 15-19 is too young to take on the mental, emotional, and spiritual task of parenting in most cases. We need to do a better job of preventing such sexual intercourse, whether consensual with peers or not.

But in cases where a young person becomes pregnant, I think it is wrong to compound the problem by murdering the unborn baby. Many young moms choose life voluntarily. Making quality prenatal care available, including counseling and support for sexual abuse victims, is important and can help make life better for moms and babies, as can adoption.

The physical health risks young moms face are greater than those of moms a few years older, but they pale compared to the mental, emotional, and spiritual problems faced by pregnant children. Let’s all seek to unite to help prevent children’s pregnancies, and when they occur to help the children and their unborn babies cope effectively. Do you agree?

ENDNOTES:

[1] Rudavsky, Shari and Fradette, Rachel; “As Ohio restricts abortions, 10-year-old girl travels to Indiana for procedure”; accessed on The Columbus Dispatch website (though the byline states the writers are with the Indianapolis Star); July 1, 2022; updated July 5, 2022; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/07/01/ohio-girl-10-among-patients-going-indiana-abortion/7788415001/

[2] Kortsmit, Katherine, PhD; Mandel, Michele G.; Reeves, Jennifer A., MD; Clark, Elizabeth, MD; Pagano, H. Pamela, DrPH; Nguyen, Antoinette, MD; Petersen, Emily E., MD; Maura K. Whiteman, PhD; “Abortion Surveillance—United States, 2019; Morbidity and Mortality Report, Surveillance Summaries/November 26, 2021/70(9):1-29; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website; webpage accessed July 6, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/ss/ss7009a1.htm#T3_down

[3] Grantham-Philips, Wyatte; “Can I still Buy Plan B? Where can I get it? What to know after SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade”; USA Today; June 25, 2022; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/06/24/plan-b-what-you-need-know/7567434001/

[4] “What’s the Youngest Age at Which a Woman Can Give Birth?”; LiveScience.com; March 30, 2011; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://www.livescience.com/33170-youngest-age-give-birth-pregnancy.html

[5] “Little Mother”; Time, May 29, 1939, No. 22, pages 57-58; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://time.com/vault/issue/1939-05-29/page/57/

[6] Hodge, Mark; “Child Mother: Harrowing Story of youngest mum ever who was just 5 & had to have c-section as she was too small to give birth”; The Sun; November 7, 2021, updated November 8, 2021; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16552270/youngest-mum-ever-lina-medina-peru/

[7] Bhavya; “Lina Medina: The Youngest Mother in the World”; Women in the World; January 6, 2022; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://womenintheworld.org/lina-medina-the-youngest-mother-in-the-world/

[8] Mikkelson, David; “Was the World’s Youngest Mother Only 5 Years Old?”; Snopes.com; July 21, 2004; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/youngest-mother/

[9] “Safe Haven Baby Boxes”; Safe Haven Baby Boxes; webpage accessed July 6, 2022; https://shbb.org/

[10] “Infant Safe Haven Laws”; webpage accessed July 7, 2022; https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/safehaven.pdf