Urgent warning for drivers over major issue facing EVs
DRIVERS have been warned over a major issue that will see a massive blow to the EV industry.
The power and energy sector is said to be suffering an acute problem with a lack of high-voltage transformers which are needed to expand the energy network.
According to a Daily Telegraph report, without the transformers supply will struggle to meet the rising demand as countries move to increased use of EVs in the drive to meet net zero goals.
The industry is reporting lead times of as much as four years to acquire new ones.
Most transformers are thought to be sourced overseas with China often controlling the supply chains.
Directly affecting electric cars is a shortage of energy minerals which are essential in the manufacturing of the batteries which power the vehicles.
In the United States, a report by S&P Global has revealed the subsidies for EVs are expected to compound an existing problem in the coming years.
It’s predicted that those subsidies will drive EV adoption at a faster rate than the mining industry can increase supplies of minerals such as lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt which are needed to make the batteries.
The report says: “Spurred by the IRA [Inflation Reduction Act 2022], energy-transition-related US demand for the critical minerals lithium, nickel and cobalt, taken together, will be 23 times higher in 2035 than it was in 2021.
“For copper, it will be twice as high.”
The White House is hoping that two thirds of cars on the road by 2032 will be EVs.
There were 290million cars on US roads in 2022, according to a Hedges & Co report.
Currently, there are around 3m EVs on the road in the US.
Estimates indicate there could be more than 200m EVs on US roads in just nine years, indicating a 70-fold rise in adoption.
In a relatively short space of time, there would be a huge increase in demand on the power grids and the infrastructure would struggle to keep pace.
Tesla boss Elon Musk said in 2021 that to accommodate such a huge rise in EV adoption would need a doubling of US generation capacity.
President Joe Biden’s administration also admitted in May that in order to expand the grid it would need at least 47,000 miles of new high-voltage transmission capacity.
Concerns have been raised about how long this would take to implement.
Fears are growing that in the not too distant future, the US could be facing a severe energy crisis of its own making.
It comes as a motoring expert has warned about buying an EV, saying they are pricey and take too long to charge.
Elsewhere, a mechanic has also warned about purchasing an electric vehicle, saying they are riddled with problems.
It came after one woman revealed that she was getting rid of her EV because it was too inconvenient.
Meanwhile, a chauffeur has claimed EVs are ruining his business because they are problematic even on short journeys.