No, EVs Aren’t Going To Overload Electric Grids
A few weeks ago, right-wing media site NewsMax ran a piece centered around an out-of-context Elon Musk quote. “If we shift all transport to electric than electricity demand approximately doubles … this is going to create a lot of challenges with the grid,” NewsMax quoted Musk as saying, before going on to scare readers about electric vehicles.
In response, I saw a great number of right-wing commentators and their idiotic fans parrot the quote and then further exaggerate it. They even mixed in recent lies by Greg Abbott, telling us that we are already getting screwed by unreliable renewables, and that EVs are only going to make the problem worse. In other words, EVs are going to kill people! Elon Musk said so!
There’s just one problem: basically none of this is true. In this article, I’m going to give readers the lowdown on the grid situation and give you some factual arguments you can use the next time people start sharing that kind of alarmist nonsense.
Point #1: EVs Use Far Less Energy Than Gas & Diesel Vehicles
When people with an axe to grind against EVs tell us about how bad EVs are, they tend to act like they’ll need just as much energy as gas-powered cars do, but in the form of electricity. They act like you’re basically stuffing coal into the “gas tank” of an EV, so you know that it must be worse.
In reality, EVs only use ¼ to ⅓ the energy of a comparable gas-powered vehicle. Why? Because most of the energy of fossil fuels ends up as heat. Gas and diesel vehicles need a big radiator and water pump to get rid of a lot of heat when the fuel is burned. More heat escapes right out the side of the engine block. Even more heat comes out of the vehicle’s exhaust pipe. There’s such an abundance of waste heat, that automakers use some of it to heat the vehicle’s interior in the winter via the heater core.
By the time all is said and done, about ¾ of a gas car’s fuel and ⅔ of a diesel car’s fuel ends up as waste heat that the car needs to shed somehow. The rest of the energy then goes on to be wasted by crappy aerodynamic efficiency, complex drivetrains, and friction braking. Very little ends up actually pushing the vehicle forward.
Let’s talk about brakes for a second. The Law of Conservation of Energy tells us that energy can’t be destroyed. It can only be converted to different forms. All of the energy of a moving vehicle (thousands of pounds of steel, glass, plastic, and rubber) has to go somewhere when you press the brake pedal. Brakes end up turning that kinetic energy into heat.
EVs have a big advantage here. Not only is about 10% of energy lost as waste heat, but when you use the brakes on a Tesla or a Chevy Bolt, the vehicle’s motor gets used as a generator to slow the car down while actually generating electricity instead of waste heat. This is called regenerative braking.
All in all, around 90% of an EV’s energy actually gets used to move the vehicle instead of getting turned into useless and problematic heat. So, no, changing a gas car out for an EV doesn’t mean that the equivalent energy must come from a power plant. Far less overall energy is needed.
Point #2: Load Timing & Variable Grid Demand
Looking at the power grid and the total power produced in simple terms (example: “We’ll need twice as much”) isn’t informative, because the amount of power that the grid delivers to homes and businesses varies hourly. In Phoenix, the electric grid is taxed to the max in the late afternoon, when things are the hottest outside. Everybody and their dogs are running refrigerated air conditioners, and that all adds up to a lot of power.
Fast forward to midnight. The sun set hours ago, and the desert rapidly cools off up to 40 degrees. During the summer, people still need air conditioning, but the compressors (the part that uses the most electricity) only run periodically to keep houses cool. With all of the power demand cut in half, or less, some power plants are set to produce less power and other plants are turned off entirely.
The grid’s wiring has to be built for the maximum power needed, though. You can’t take the average power used in a day and put in wires that can only handle that much power (assuming you don’t want a fire). You have to take the power needs of the grid at their highest peaks on the worst days of the year and design for that, even though you won’t need those beefy wires the rest of the time.
So, in reality, the grid has tons of spare capacity most of the time. In the middle of the night when power is needed the least, grids are often only transmitting half of the power they are capable of sending, or less.
The Arizona example doesn’t apply everywhere, as some places that actually have a winter use a lot of electric power at night for heating. Other places often have a glut of excess solar power during the day that they don’t know what to do with. Sometimes they even have to pay people to take the power.
Fortunately, EVs can charge during off-peak times when there’s extra power capacity. Utilities often offer customers with an EV excellent prices to charge during those off-peak hours, so they set the EV to charge during those times instead of when everyone is competing for power.
Point #3: EV Efficiency Continues To Improve
Finally, it’s worth noting that EVs are getting more efficient. They were already far more efficient than gas-powered vehicles to begin with, but today’s EVs tend to use even less power than the EVs made ten years ago. Improved drivetrains, better aerodynamic efficiency, better battery technology, and even the use of on-board solar panels are all reducing the power needs of EVs.
Vehicles like the Aptera and Sono Sion are even going to be able to operate almost completely independent of the grid, because they’ll produce enough solar power that they just don’t need to be plugged in most days.
When we keep all of this in mind (EVs are more efficient, they can charge when the grid has the most spare capacity, and they’re getting more efficient over time), there’s really no reason to fear EVs overloading grids unless you’re looking for something to dishonestly smear the EV industry with.
Featured image by Aptera.
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OpenAI is distancing itself from Robinhood‘s latest crypto push after the trading platform began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe.
“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”
The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”
Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.
“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.
Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.
“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”
The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain
U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.
Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.
BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech
After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”
Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.
BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).
It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.
The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).
Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).
Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.
The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.
BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.
The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.
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Every year, it seems like there’s a new headline about the world’s lightest electric bike. Each year, engineers manage to shave a few more grams off of an exotically designed frame built with even more exotic materials. And each year, the continuously lower weight is balanced by continuously higher prices – often exorbitantly high. But now Dahon has bucked that trend, offering us an incredibly lightweight electric bike at a price that normal e-bike riders can afford. Meet the Dahon K-Feather.
To put things in perspective, some of the previous lightest electric bicycles have included the 11.8 kg (26 lb) LeMond Prolog at US $4,500, the 11.75 kg (12.59 lb) Trek Domane+ SLR at US $8,999, and the 10 kg (22 lb) Hummingbird Flax folding e-bike at US $6,050.
So with that in mind, please allow me to introduce you to the new Dahon K-Feather. This is a 12 kg (26.5 kg) folding electric bike priced at an incredibly reasonable US $1,199 in North America or €1,499 in Europe.
Sure, it’s not the absolute lightest folding e-bike we’ve ever seen, but it’s 90% of the way there and at a quarter of the price. Plus, it comes from Dahon, which is one of the most respected names in the folding bike world and is largely credited with paving the way for the booming folding bike industry we see today. Since the 1980s, Dahon’s innovative designs have been imitated around the world, yet the folding bike maker has continued to innovate and stay several steps ahead of competing brands.
The K-feather achieves its extra low weight through the combination of a novel frame design employing Dahon’s patented frame designs, including the company’s DELTECH technology and “super down tube,” which help improve rigidity and robustness while reducing weight.
The electrical system on the K-Feather is also a featherweight, keeping the e-bike largely in the last-mile category. While the battery claims a maximum range of up to 24.8 miles (40 km), real-world riding and hilly terrain could reduce that range. Still, clever designs like a system that automatically shuts off the extra motor power when detecting a downhill segment help to eke out more range from the small 24V and 5Ah battery.
The ultra-lightweight 250W hub motor also offers just 32 Nm of torque, meaning the assist is more of a helpful push than a powerful shove. But with the inclusion of a torque sensor for the pedal assist, that push comes on quickly and reliably, making the bike feel more like a traditional analog bike being pedaled by someone with extra strong legs.
With 16″ dual-wall rims and 14g spokes, this isn’t the heavy fat tire folding e-bikes we’re used to in North America, and the capacity reflects that. The K-Feather is rated to support riders weighing up to 105 kg (231 lb), though the highly adjustable seating position can support a range of rider heights from 145 to 190.5 cm (4’9″ to 6’3″).
Coming in six colorways, the Dahon K-feather folding e-bike is now available in the US and has launched for pre-order in Europe, with shipments there expected in September.
I had a bit of a preview of the K-feather on my last trip to China when I was able to visit Dahon’s headquarters and test ride the bike.
I still can’t believe how light it felt, both underneath me and while folding it up and carrying it around. Be on the lookout for that full experience from my trip, coming soon.
Electrek’s Take
The K-Feather represents a compelling milestone not just for Dahon, but for the entire folding e-bike market. By delivering a truly lightweight, compact, and fully electric folder at an impressively affordable price point, Dahon has made minimalist e-mobility more accessible than ever.
It’s not just a bike for die-hard lightweight e-bike connoisseurs; it’s a real-world solution for commuters, travelers, and apartment dwellers who want the freedom of electric assist without the bulk or the sticker shock. If the goal is to get more people on two wheels, the K-Feather might just be one of the most important steps forward yet.
Coming in at less than half the weight of most folding e-bikes, and still a fraction of most lighter-duty folders, the K-Feather’s modest performance makes it a great urban ride for those who favor compact size and light weight. In fact, I think it might be perfect for my mother-in-law, who needs an e-bike to get to and from the train she takes to work, but also needs it to be light enough to carry up to her second-story apartment. Hmmm, perhaps I should have her do a review for us…
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