Impact of Electric Vehicles on Renewable Energy Industry

European Parliament approved on 28 March to ban the sales of new gas and diesel cars in the EU zone starting in 2035. This new regulation will speed up the transition to electric vehicles and maybe hydrogen cars in near future. It is obvious that either hydrogen or electric cars, both will need an external energy supply unlike the internal combustion engine cars. Electric cars will consume electricity directly from grid, on the other hand hydrogen cars will consume electricity indirectly by production of hydrogen itself. The question is that how much GW renewables energy do we need for an entire transition of ICE cars to EVs.

The total quantity of registered cars in EU are around 246 million against 447 million population. Below graphic shows motorization rates per country. According to various statistics from electric car users, an electric car consumes around 200WH per KM depending on weather conditions and average car speed. (When you drive faster, car consumes more power similar to internal combustion engine cars.) The average yearly range of a car is around 12.000KM in EU.

The total capacity of energy to replace all internal combustion engine cars with electric cars, can be calculated as below simply:

246.000.000 Cars x 12.000 KM x 200 WH = 590.400 GWH (Total Energy Required for Entire Year)

590.400 GWH / 365 Days = 1617.5 GWH (Avera Total Energy Required for One Day)

An average onshore wind turbine (depending on location and turbine model) produces 6-8 hours full load energy in a day. An average solar power plant (tracking system) produces 4-6 hours full load energy in a day depending on the irradiation levels of location.

Wind power to replace all cars: 1617.5 / 7 = 231.1 GW

Solar power to replace all cars: 1617.5 / 5 = 323.5 GW

Average renewables power: 1617.5 / 6 = 269.6 GW

The required average of solar & wind power would be 269.6 GW in EU against 447 million population. A very simple and rough formula can be revealed by using all these information and assumptions (similar car and KM statistics) to calculate total required renewable energy to replace all cars to electric cars in a country: “Population (in millions) x 0,60 = Required power in GW”.

Considering 1.5-degree global warming target by 2030 and electrical vehicle transition plans by 2035, taking into account that the installed renewables capacity of 569GW in EU until now and EU target of 1236 MW renewables capacity until 2030, the solar & wind energy markets will continue to grow with an accelerated speed.

Serkan Baran ÖZ