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How to Solve an Electric Car-Charging Problem? Ask Our Readers
Email   PrintPrint  What would happen if thousands of people in
an average city eventually bought electric vehicles, and they
all tended to plug in their cars for recharging during the same
time of day? The spike in electricity demand could force the
local utility to turn on an expensive backup power plant to
generate the juice, and could even lead to a brownout.  It turns
out that such a problem is not just theoretical. Data about the
recharging habits of electric cars owners living in a new,
280-hectare neighborhood in Austin, Tex., known as Mueller, show
that across two months time, the residents all tended to plug in
their cars in the early evening when they came home from work.
And that’s just when many residents are also turning up their
air conditioning and turning on lights, TVs, computers and other
appliances