The media advertised electric vehicles as the solution to global warming, climate change, and vehicle emission. Furthermore, various think tanks argued that the industry could be responsible for the creation of 150,000 jobs by 2030, while other publications mentioned how these cars would help with the nation’s energy security. While some arguments seem logical, others are very far-fetched. However, the “green” fandom is ignoring several issues that are related to electric vehicles, such as the effects of electric cars on the power grid, their material intensive nature, and the environmental impacts of battery waste. And it’s not just these issues that keep mainstream consumers away from EVs, but also their practicality. As a result, 69 percent of American consumers would rather not buy an electrical vehicle.

Recent events like California’s heatwave and subsequent fires show the limitations of EV ownership. When the California Independent System Operator asked the state’s residents not to charge their electric vehicles between 4 P.M. and 9 P.M. to help conserve electricity, the public didn’t take it too lightly. In fact, there was a lot of opposition to the notion. To be fair, for a state that has made headlines when it announced a ban on the sale of new gas powered vehicles by 2035, this move seemed quite absurd. What are California’s residents supposed to do if they need to escape the raging fires, for example? Even worse, how are Floridians rushing to flee hurricanes and tornados supposed to charge their vehicles if there is a power outage? Evidently, there are several risks associated with having an EV during a disaster that have gone unnoticed until now.

Related: Here's How Soaring Energy Costs Can Threaten The Future Of Electric Cars

Strained Power Supplies

EV plug in
Via Wikimedia

“I think it’s very interesting that California only has 600,000 electric vehicles on the road today out of about 20 million or so operational. If they ban internal combustion engines, you’re looking at about 2 million new electric vehicles a year, and they can’t even handle 600,000,” said former California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore. “You’re looking at about 14% of California’s grid dedicated to electric vehicles when people come home from working. And if all those cars charge at the same time, that’s about one-seventh of what the grid is requiring to operate in those evening hours when things are real tight. I think we’re getting a glimpse into the future if we go all-electric, and people are just constantly underestimating the enormous amount of electricity needed to make this happen.”

Having access to reliable, sufficient, and uninterrupted power when natural disasters strike is critical for disaster recovery. And it is even more important to provide high-quality emergency power during disasters to hospitals and clinics. Unfortunately, widespread power outages will become even more common if the number of EVs on the road grows because they continue to strain power supplies and increase power demand. Just look at the heat wave in California, when officials had to request that residents stop charging their cars. In case of a natural disaster, should EV owners charge their cars and burden the grid trying to escape from the disaster or follow the requests from grid operators and postpone their departure and voluntarily conserve energy? It’s like asking residents to choose between the greater good and individualism.

Evacuation Roads Don’t Have Charging Stations

Ford Mustang Mach-e charging at station
Via: Electrify America

Although there aren't enough charging stations in cities to meet demand, the situation is far worse in rural and remote places. In 2021, CNBC established that “the U.S. EV charging network isn’t ready for your family road trip, let alone the expected wave of new cars.” Meanwhile, Kristina Swallow, the Director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, said in a comment letter to the Federal Highway Administration that “there are a lot of areas in the American West, including Nevada, that do not have any type of electrical service.”

Many of the evacuation roads are through remote areas and the countryside, so not all of them will have charging stations. And even if the evacuation road takes you through the highway, you can expect to get stranded along the highway because of traffic jams.

“Due to limited driving range and sparse charging infrastructure networks, electric vehicles are more susceptible to being stranded during evacuations,” says Civil and environmental engineering professor Eleftheria Kontou. “The existing evacuation routes do not account for the frequent charging needs and the long charging times of electric vehicles, posing barriers to evacuation and reaching shelters. Electric vehicles may need to be rerouted to access charging stations and deviate from the shortest path to safety, increasing the evacuation time.”

EVs Left Powerless During Hurricanes

Mercedes in Hurricane Matthew floodwater
via Vox

When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, several people stayed put, believing that their neighborhoods were secure. However, after the hurricane made landfall, they recognized that it would have been safer for them to leave. At this point, it was too late to evacuate because of power outages. Families could no longer charge their electric vehicles and everyone was stuck at home.

Related: Here's Why Most EVs And Plug-In Hybrids No Longer Qualify For Tax Credits

EV Charging Speed Is Too Slow

2022-Chevrolet-Bolt-EUV-Charging-1
Via: Chevrolet

Every second counts when evacuating a hurricane”, says Click2Houston. “For drivers of electric vehicles, the shortest path to safety during an evacuation can become longer.”

Time and time again, industry experts have argued that EV charging times can put people’s lives in danger during natural disasters. CNBC, for example, rightfully pointed out that it takes “about 45 minutes to fully charge an EV, sometimes longer.” By contrast, filling your tank with gas takes just a couple of minutes. On balance, professor Eleftheria Kontou is correct when she notes that “charging is time-consuming and also increases the time to reach shelters during evacuations. Due to the limited number of charging stations and ports, long queues are expected to form, leaving electric vehicle drivers more exposed to danger.”

The belief that electric vehicles will save America was finally put to rest when Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director of Energy, Climate, and Environment at the Heritage Foundation, said: “American consumers are being asked to pay higher prices for electric vehicles — which depend on higher prices for less-dependable electricity that may not be available during peak demand or in the aftermath of wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes. This is not a resilient, prosperous future.”