Texas Freeze Raises Cost Of Charging A Tesla To $900

AdrianC

Herzlos said:

The main difference is that the UK gets cold weather every year and more or less plans for it.

Texas doesn't..

There's also a question of the scale of the temps...

There's headlines giving temps just below 0 in Texas. They're in Fahrenheit... They're about -20degC... And they normally don't even get near freezing.

The UK VERY rarely gets -20degC, and it would cause chaos if we did.

Jenni_D

Well some parts of the UK reach -20 or less in winter ... it's already happened this winter ... but not in any area with a population more than a small number (unless you count sheep or other farm animals).

DrEskimo

Grumpy_chap said:

I assume few consumers are actually subject to the spot charge mentioned in the article and, also, that few people are driving anywhere in that snow do no need to charge the Tesla.

To reach that cost would also require having an entirely empty 100kW battery. The spot charges are based on 5-min rolling auctions, whereas to charge a 100kW pack on a 7kW home charger would take the best part of 15hours.

So the only time that cost would be true is if the customer is paying directly for auction spot prices on some variable tariff, and that the spike of $9000 dollars was sustained entirely over a 15hour period (it definitely wasn't), which is the same period that someone happens to have an empty 100kW Tesla that they decide needs a completely full battery......

Of course this is not confined to charging a Tesla...the same would be true in a slightly more plausible example of someone running an electric heater and paying that auction spot price over a 14hour period. But where is the click-bait appeal when you can blame renewables and point to how expensive EV's are in one utterly misinformed swoop (based entirely off a misinformed tweet of an obvious fossil fuel lobbyist)......

Herzlos

Grumpy_chap said:

I assume few consumers are actually subject to the spot charge mentioned in the article and, also, that few people are driving anywhere in that snow do no need to charge the Tesla.

And that there's essentially no electricity, so they presumably want to deter people from recharging cars until people can get their lights on.

missile said:

"If anything, it shows how dangerous deregulation and isolationism are." That would be Brexit?

If the shoe fits

Herzlos

AdrianC said:

Herzlos said:

The main difference is that the UK gets cold weather every year and more or less plans for it.

Texas doesn't..

There's also a question of the scale of the temps...

There's headlines giving temps just below 0 in Texas. They're in Fahrenheit... They're about -20degC... And they normally don't even get near freezing.

The UK VERY rarely gets -20degC, and it would cause chaos if we did.

Things seem to run more or less fine when we're at -20C here, at least in that basic utilities still work. We're running to the point where cars won't start and trains stop, but the country isn't plunged into the dark ages.

jimjames

AdrianC said:

Herzlos said:

The main difference is that the UK gets cold weather every year and more or less plans for it.

Texas doesn't..

There's also a question of the scale of the temps...

There's headlines giving temps just below 0 in Texas. They're in Fahrenheit... They're about -20degC... And they normally don't even get near freezing.

The UK VERY rarely gets -20degC, and it would cause chaos if we did.

I was in Texas this week last year. The temperature was over 20C which is about average, these really are unprecedented low temperatures and they're just not setup to cope with them. We might complain about our councils not having snow ploughs or whatever for the winter but we have much more frequent snow than they do.

Flight3287462

Herzlos said:

The main difference is that the UK gets cold weather every year and more or less plans for it.

Except the bridge builders on the Forth

AdrianC

Herzlos said:

AdrianC said:

Herzlos said:

The main difference is that the UK gets cold weather every year and more or less plans for it.

Texas doesn't..

There's also a question of the scale of the temps...

There's headlines giving temps just below 0 in Texas. They're in Fahrenheit... They're about -20degC... And they normally don't even get near freezing.

The UK VERY rarely gets -20degC, and it would cause chaos if we did.

Things seem to run more or less fine when we're at -20C here

Umm, exactly how often do you think that happens here?

Can I remind you of the headlines a week or so ago?
https://blog.metoffice.gov.uk/2021/02/11/record-low-temperature-for-the-uk-this-millennium/

And when it DOES happen, it's in places like the Scottish Highlands, where they're far more used to low temperatures, snow and ice. Can you imagine the chaos if that hit London and the Home Counties...?

Flight3287462

I would still argue it is far more likely to happen in the UK as opposed to Texas.  I personally think our grid is flying by the seat of its pants (no new nuclear etc) and a lack of provision for increases in load post 2030.  Power stations take years to get off the drawing board  never mind construction.

RichardD1970

Hunyani_Flight_825 said:

I would still argue it is far more likely to happen in the UK as opposed to Texas.  I personally think our grid is flying by the seat of its pants (no new nuclear etc) and a lack of provision for increases in load post 2030.  Power stations take years to get off the drawing board  never mind construction.

National Grid would disagree with you.

https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/journey-to-net-zero/5-myths-about-electric-vehicles-busted