California Power Grid Is on Track to Handle the Influx of EVs

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office tells MotorTrend that the state’s power grid is on track to handle the influx of electric vehicles on California roads resulting from a new state ban on the sale of gasoline-powered cars here by 2035.

The ban, approved by the California Air Resources Board late last month, resulted in high-octane buzz, including speculation other states could follow suit. Reactions also included questions about whether California has enough power supply and infrastructure for all of the new electric-powered vehicles the ban will bring, especially after state residents were asked to avoid electric-vehicle charging during peak hours during the recent heat wave.

The governor’s office told MotorTrend that the phased ban on gasoline-powered cars is designed to “end our dependence on oil, and bolster our grid with more clean, reliable energy” in order to help arrest climate change and the extreme weather that goes with it.

Newsom’s office said the state legislature is “spending billions of dollars to accelerate our transition to 100 percent clean power” and has increased the state’s available power by more than 4,000 megawatts, mostly from clean technologies, such as battery storage. Newsom’s office said it has a plan in motion toward carbon neutrality and projected 68 percent electric grid growth by 2045.

Some electric vehicles, including Ford’s F-150 Lightning, actually return power to the grid from the battery, and some owners can charge their vehicles during low-demand hours and power their homes from the vehicles during high-demand times.