“Rechargeable vehicles represent a new frontier,” says Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally at the New York Auto Show.
They will also represent a significant new home-energy cost, one that may shock a lot of people when they look at their monthly electricity bill.
If you think running the air conditioner, clothes dryer and refrigerator costs a lot, wait until you plug in your car every day. Appliances on wheels with seating for four are going to really set the electricity-usage meter spinning.
Environmentally minded people may switch from going green to seeing red when they get their first utility bill that includes a hefty charge for car recharging.
EVs are destined to become the biggest user of household electricity, says Troy Bollerberry, an executive with Microsoft Corp.
Foreseeing the day when electric cars are commonplace, Microsoft is partnering with Ford to help future EV owners with their charging needs.
That means figuring out best times for people to recharge their vehicles, depending on daily schedules – and keeping in mind that users must stagger charging times.
Otherwise, a city’s over-burdened electrical grid could zap out. So forget about everyone plugging in their EVs right after the commute home. That would be the EV equivalent of everybody going to the service station at the same time.
