U.S. Cars Can Switch to Battery Electric Vehicles

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are widely regarded as the future of transportation. In my previous post, I addressed the unnecessary fear of EV fire accidents, which turned out to be a misreported concern. Nevertheless, some critics continue to raise questions about their environmental impact, citing emissions from gas-based electricity generation and the effects of resource mining. Here are three key arguments that highlight the feasibility and benefits of adopting BEVs:

1. The Rise of Renewable Electricity

Most of all, electricity from renewable sources is far cleaner than conventional energy derived from fossil fuels. Globally, renewable electricity generation already accounts for 28% of the total and is expected to rise to 38% within three years. Importantly, in the U.S., renewables contributed 21.4% of electricity generation as of 2023, showing significant progress toward greener energy {1}.

2. The Oil Industry’s Hidden Inefficiencies

The oil industry itself is surprisingly reliant on electricity. In the U.S., over 435,000 oil wells use electricity to power their pump jacks. These wells consume 4,300 GWh of electricity monthly—enough to power 15 million BEVs during the same period {2}. This highlights the inefficiency of relying on oil when electricity could be directly used to fuel vehicles.

3. BEVs and Renewable Energy Alignment

The following calculations demonstrate that transitioning all 280 million vehicles in the U.S. to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) would require approximately 963,200 GWh per year (or 963.2 billion kWh). This demand slightly exceeds the current renewable electricity production of 894 billion kWh, which accounts for 21.4% of total U.S. electricity generation. However, the continued growth of the renewable energy sector is expected to meet the additional demand for BEVs over time.

Step 1. Electricity used by 15 million EVs in a month

Step 2. Electricity needed for 1 EV per year

Step 3. Electricity needed for all 280 million vehicles in the U.S.

Conclusion

Considering the current quantity of renewable energy, the entire U.S. vehicle fleet could potentially be replaced with BEVs powered solely by clean energy sources. Therefore, while challenges around peak power generation and off-peak energy usage remain, BEVs are still far more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than their fossil fuel counterparts. With the steady growth of renewable energy, the U.S. could realistically transition its entire fleet of vehicles to run on clean electricity.

In short, the future is clear: ALL U.S. CARS CAN NOW OPERATE SUSTAINABLY ON RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY.

Reference

{1} https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3
{2} https://x.com/NicklasNilsso14/status/1744615674423484786?s=20