On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:56:35 +0100, "Recliner"
wrote:
wrote in message
On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:45:32 +0100
"Recliner" wrote:
Yes, that's a very good point. Imagine if every house in the street
was charging its electric car(s) overnight -- it's pretty unlikely
that the local sub-station and wiring could handle the load. It may
be OK if just one or two houses use 13amp sockets, but not if the
whole street is doing it for hours on end.

Also I wonder how many house fires they might end up causing if a few
hundred amps is put through ancient wiring for 12 hours without a
break.

I think the car needs no more than 13 amps from a 240v domestic supply
for eight hours for a full charge, or can be charged very much more
quickly using a 400v 3-phase supply (not available in many houses, of
course). So individual houses may be OK charging one electric car, but
the neighbourhood supply may run out of juice if they're all doing it at
once.


... which is why a charging infrastructure will be put in place. The
first scheme, in London, is being finalised.

Not only will electric cars save CO2, but there will be a massive
reduction in other pollutants, notable particulates and oxides of
nitrogen. Many UK cities are already in breach of current legal
limits on those pollutants, and the limits are about to be tightened
further.

So the electric car is the way to go; unlike electrifying the
railways, there will actually be a substantial CO2 benefit.