[Petrochemicals (OP)]

With 1 million electric powered cars on UK roads, have they placed exessive pressure on the electrical supply?

[alancalverd]

Not quite yet, but a few cold windless days will bend the needles. As I write, demand is 45 GW of which wind is supplying 8%, solar zero,  and every other source is close to maximum output.

[sceptic-eng]

Yes, we rely on wind otherwise gas or oil based fuel is necessary to keep the lights on. See https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/ [nofollow] for an up to date view of the  grid generation

[wolfekeeper]

"Are electric cars responsible for natural gas demand? "

Partially, but Britain's electric cars are mostly charged at night, on economy 7 or similar, when the grid is greener and cheaper and wind is a bigger percentage of the production than during the day. Over time the grid will green up more and the electricity will be greener still.

Also, some people charge their electric cars predominately or even exclusively on their own, or sometimes other people's solar panels.

"With 1 million electric powered cars on UK roads, have they placed exessive pressure on the electrical supply? "

No, the UK grid can easily handle a lot more electric cars than we have at the moment. So far as the grid is concerned, it's the average electric car that matters, and the average electric car only needs a few kilowatt hours per day anyway and the grid has far less demand at night than during the day- it can take it easily.

In future there certainly will be more solar on the grid, and charging may happen more during the day.

[alancalverd]

Slightly beside the subject but very relevant, a light airplane has now been flown by the RAF on 100% synthetic UL91 avgas made from atmospheric carbon dioxide, water, and wave-generated electricity, with no modification to the standard engine. And 100% biokerosene from waste cooking oil has been used to power a search-and-rescue helicopter. Seems a far more sensible route to take, rather than messing about with batteries and a major upgrade to the grid: no storage problem, no new vehicles, rapid refuelling, no performance penalty, near-100% recyclable vehicle materials..... 

[wolfekeeper]

Andddd it was horribly inefficient and hence expensive fuel as well, wasn't it.

[alancalverd]

Far from inefficient, at around 45 MJ/kg compared with 0.8 MJ/kg for batteries, avgas or avtur is still the most efficient means of getting from A to B at 100 mph or more, since there is no need for any infrastructure between departure and destination. Fuel made from air, water, and waves or wind, cannot be considered expensive, and the service life of an aero engine is around a million miles.

Having demonstrated the feasibility of fully synthetic and repurposed-waste fuels  in the most demanding application short of space travel, it should be a short trip to turning sewage fatbergs into bunker oil for ships and trains.

[wolfekeeper]

And how much energy did it take to manufacture it?

c.f. with batteries which are about 98% efficient.

Horrible efficiency, really ghastly efficiency.

And because efficiency and cost are interrelated, super expensive as well.

[Iannguyen]

If you want to initiate this debate, then be ready for some fireworks. And I am surely up for it. First, we have to consider what one brings and lacks. Ironically, a new product, idea, or brand comes with thorough considerations. But often, its considerations turn into a necessity and thus the cons get overshadowed. I do not want to go into depth but it will be good to discuss some of the basics that need to be straightened out. We have in the front of us some positives alongside a few negatives to get us rolling. And the issues you are pointing out are surely one of the many.
An electric car is a great liability but we have to consider its fuel too. Often people either do not discuss it often or clearly take it out of the books. But an electric car needs fuel too, though in the form of electricity. For that, there is no proper mechanism to assist the users of electric vehicles. For instance, if you really want to cut out the ties to petroleum products, then you need to think ahead. Placing charging booths is not the solution. Rather you are giving them the same medicine as the petrol pumps are giving to the regular users.
Plus, they are also making wider use of electricity and claiming the authorities to produce so their usage can be compensated. For this, electric car owners must make sure that their houses contain enough solar panels to charge their cars. And electric car manufacturers need to ensure that they infuse some small solar panels in the vehicles so people can charge on the move. This will limit if not reduce the electricity consumption from charging booths.
This sort of action and behavior is the requirement from both the manufacturers and users of electric cars.

[Johnmo89]

Electric motors are not so "green" and valuable: 1. There simply isn't enough lithium and cobalt in the world to make batteries, 2. Electric vehicles don't have a viable sales model. In other words, they are simply unprofitable to produce and sell. 3. Countries for which trade in gas and oil is the main source of income will simply not give a chance for development. 4. Due to the transition to electric vehicles, electricity consumption will increase dramatically, which will lead to a crisis. 5. In the production of batteries, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere is several times higher than their amount from cars with internal combustion engines.

[Bored chemist]

Electric motors are not so "green" and valuable: 1. There simply isn't enough lithium and cobalt in the world to make batteries, 2. Electric vehicles don't have a viable sales model. In other words, they are simply unprofitable to produce and sell. 3. Countries for which trade in gas and oil is the main source of income will simply not give a chance for development. 4. Due to the transition to electric vehicles, electricity consumption will increase dramatically, which will lead to a crisis. 5. In the production of batteries, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere is several times higher than their amount from cars with internal combustion engines.

Oh look!
Unsupported assertions.

[Johnmo89]

Electric motors are not so "green" and valuable: 1. There simply isn't enough lithium and cobalt in the world to make batteries, 2. Electric vehicles don't have a viable sales model. In other words, they are simply unprofitable to produce and sell. 3. Countries for which trade in gas and oil is the main source of income will simply not give a chance for development. 4. Due to the transition to electric vehicles, electricity consumption will increase dramatically, which will lead to a crisis. 5. In the production of batteries, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere is several times higher than their amount from cars with internal combustion engines.

Oh look!
Unsupported assertions.

Do you have any solid evidence of my wrongness or just empty words? Yes, I expressed my personal opinion! In your posts, I also did not notice irrefutable evidence! Oh look! Statements from category: "You're wrong, because I don't like it..." . The commenting function was created so that people can express their opinion and discuss this topic! If your message does not contain any fact or reasoning on the topic, think about whether it is worth sending ...

[Bored chemist]

Electric motors are not so "green" and valuable: 1. There simply isn't enough lithium and cobalt in the world to make batteries, 2. Electric vehicles don't have a viable sales model. In other words, they are simply unprofitable to produce and sell. 3. Countries for which trade in gas and oil is the main source of income will simply not give a chance for development. 4. Due to the transition to electric vehicles, electricity consumption will increase dramatically, which will lead to a crisis. 5. In the production of batteries, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere is several times higher than their amount from cars with internal combustion engines.

Oh look!
Unsupported assertions.

Do you have any solid evidence of my wrongness or just empty words? Yes, I expressed my personal opinion! In your posts, I also did not notice irrefutable evidence! Oh look! Statements from category: "You're wrong, because I don't like it..." . The commenting function was created so that people can express their opinion and discuss this topic! If your message does not contain any fact or reasoning on the topic, think about whether it is worth sending ...

So... still no evidence...

[Johnmo89]

Electric motors are not so "green" and valuable: 1. There simply isn't enough lithium and cobalt in the world to make batteries, 2. Electric vehicles don't have a viable sales model. In other words, they are simply unprofitable to produce and sell. 3. Countries for which trade in gas and oil is the main source of income will simply not give a chance for development. 4. Due to the transition to electric vehicles, electricity consumption will increase dramatically, which will lead to a crisis. 5. In the production of batteries, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere is several times higher than their amount from cars with internal combustion engines.

Oh look!
Unsupported assertions.

Do you have any solid evidence of my wrongness or just empty words? Yes, I expressed my personal opinion! In your posts, I also did not notice irrefutable evidence! Oh look! Statements from category: "You're wrong, because I don't like it..." . The commenting function was created so that people can express their opinion and discuss this topic! If your message does not contain any fact or reasoning on the topic, think about whether it is worth sending ...

So... still no evidence...

I don't see yours

[Bored chemist]

The assertion I made was that you have made unsupported statements.
My evidence was to quote those statements (so that the reader may see that there is no evidence there).
It's not that you can't see my evidence, it's that you are looking for the wrong thing.
You were looking for evidence regarding cars and gas- but I didn't offer any opinion about those, so I don't need to offer evidence about them.

[hamdani yusuf]

I have no resources to do the research myself, but someone else does.

Do EVs cost more to fuel? EV vs GAS

[hamdani yusuf]

1. There simply isn't enough lithium and cobalt in the world to make batteries

There's still more unmined lithium and cobalt than what's already used as battery. They simply incentivize the search for alternative chemical combinations, such as sodium and iron.

[hamdani yusuf]

5. In the production of batteries, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere is several times higher than their amount from cars with internal combustion engines.

If you prefer more quantitative data, here it is.

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

If you want to initiate this debate, then be ready for some fireworks.

I have to say that this is the wrong attitude. A scientific debate is not a argument and "fireworks" are more associated with agrivation and and conflicted positions.

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

I have no resources to do the research myself, but someone else does.

Do EVs cost more to fuel? EV vs GAS

Petrol is about 30p a litre maximum even with exessive profits from sources of Brent crude from land based wells, if most cars achieve 10 miles per litre they are about 3p per mile.