There are about 2 million battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in operation in the U.S. and more than 160,000 public chargers. America's electric vehicles (EVs) use a mixture of public and private charging to fuel up with electrons, whether for daily driving purposes or road trips.
Around 60 percent of America's electricity is made from non-renewable resources like natural gas and coal, meaning that while those zero-emissions cars are greener, they still are part of a large carbon pollution footprint.
But that isn't the whole story.
Renewable energy now accounts for more than 20 percent of the country's electricity usage on average, and that number is growing. The companies that make, service and operate electric vehicle chargers are going green by purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) that offset the amount of energy consumed by drivers. Those compliance RECs (not to be confused with voluntary RECs used by individuals) averaged about $34 per megawatt hour in 2022.
The zero emissions revolution only works if businesses and consumers eliminate carbon emissions, not just push them downstream or purchase their way into better PR.
As part of Inflation Reduction Act spending, $23.4 billion is earmarked for transportation and EVs. In addition to tax credits for EV buyers, it also includes credits for commercial EV charging station builders. The $1,000 residential EV charger tax credit continues while credits for commercial chargers have been raised from $30,000 to $100,000 per charging station.
Engineering and environmental issues stand in the way of chargers being powered by renewable energy, such as solar or wind power, on-site.
"Given real estate constraints, site host preferences, and the large amount of electricity needed to power our stations, on-site renewable energy is not feasible. The majority of EVgo's stations don't have solar canopies or renewable energy installations on-site because the amount of energy needed to deliver fast charging is quite large," Katie Wallace, senior communications manager at EVgo, told Newsweek.
Wind and hydropower are the most available renewable energy sources at 9.2 percent and 6.3 percent, and solar comes in just behind. Businesses buy credits for that power from marketplaces and use those credits to offset whatever nonrenewable fossil fuels they use. That energy doesn't need to get to the EV chargers if they are offsetting the power used.
EVgo offers time of use (TOU) alongside kilowatt-hour (kWh) pricing. In states like California, Arizona and other places where there is a high solar resource, EVgo's pricing is designed to encourage customers to charge during the day at times when renewable energy is most abundant on the grid.
Electrify America (EA), another leading EV charger company, is doing something similar. The chargers are now backed with 100 percent renewable energy using the same renewable energy credit system as EVgo. Additionally, Electrify America just broke ground on its first solar farm in California, which it says is projected to offset the energy it delivers to drivers by using solar power on an annualized basis across its public charging network.
EA has also invested $2 million in 30 solar-powered Level 2 chargers (240 volts) that aren't tied to the electrical grid in some rural areas. Each station has a sun-tracking array and power storage, so they can charge vehicles even when it's cloudy. EA also has solar canopies at direct current fast charging stations (480 volts) that either boost the charge going to a vehicle or feed back solar power into the grid.
Luxury EV maker Rivian opened its first three fast charging stations in its nationwide Rivian Adventure Network last June. The company plans to install 3,500 chargers at its new Charging Outposts across 600 sites including trails, parks like Yosemite and Sequoia National Park, as well as its new showroom Spaces in New York, California and Texas.
"Recognizing that vehicle electrification is only one step in reducing environmental impact, Rivian is matching charging on Rivian Adventure Network and Waypoints chargers with 100 percent renewable energy on an annual basis. Rivian is engaging directly with clean energy developers and operators to promote tangible contributions to a cleaner grid when drivers plug in," Miranda Jimenez, Rivian communications manager, told Newsweek.
Following the launch of its Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), Jeep created the 4xe Charging Network in the U.S., installing Level 2 charging stations at Jeep Badge of Honor off-road trails. Jeep says the stations will be either directly connected to the grid or use solar power. They're already installed on trails in Moab, Utah, and Pollock Pines and Big Bear, California.
The United States will need to produce 25 percent more electricity than it does currently to electrify the transportation sector, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA also estimates that by 2040, global electricity demand will grow by more than one-third, mainly due to the widespread adoption of EVs.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
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