Recently Switzerland has started talks about the possible banning of electric vehicles for any non-essential travel this coming winter as the continent suffers its way through a massive energy crisis that was caused by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
It was reported by The Telegraph that a large number of government officials have already created a number of plans to assist in the conservation of energy that could include limiting heating for residences and buildings to a temperature of no more than 68 degrees Fahrenheit and mandating a drop in the total number of hours which stores can be open.
Far more strict rules could be set up, such as the outright banning of large indoor gatherings such as concerts, theatre events, and sporting events, explained the report.
Historically, Switzerland relies quite heavily on the use of hydroelectric power, which accounts for almost two-thirds of the nation’s energy supply, with the excess being exported during the time of year that it can generate the most power from a combination of snowfall and raid, stated the report. It is then normally forced to import energy throughout the rest of the year due to its nuclear resources, which it has been taking strides to try and phase out, because of its fossil fuel resources failing to meet the overall demand.
The country has spawned a two-tier system for addressing the recent shortage of energy: crisis and emergency.
When addressing the “emergency” tier, there are currently three distinct levels of restrictions, and for the “crisis” tier there are two stages.
All electric cars would be subject to the restrictions within the third level of the new emergency tier.
This past August, government officials from California released their new plan to try and quickly phase out the sale of all gas-powered cars before only a few days later calling on its residents to no charge their electric cars in an effort to try and not overwhelm the struggling power grid during a massive heat wave.
The string of warnings about low grid capacity came just a few days in the wake of the California Air Resources board putting out new regulations which would require at least 35% of all new cars to release zero emissions by as soon as 2026 — a mark which will climb up to 68% by 2030 and then again to 100% by 2035. However, many experts have chimed in with warnings that the current electric grid for the state will need to see some fairly large updates in order to deal with this insanely fast move away from standard internal combustion cars.
“Today, most people charge their electric cars when they come home in the evening — when electricity demand is typically at its peak,” explained the researchers from the Cornell University College of Engineering. “If left unmanaged, the power demanded from many electric vehicles charging simultaneously in the evening will amplify existing peak loads, potentially outstripping the grid’s current capacity to meet demand.”
