Millions of electric vehicles may not have as big of an impact on the power grid as people think. Most cars are not used most of the time, so they are usually sitting there fully charged. This allows for a smart charging system called vehicle-to-grid infrastructure, where energy can be drawn from the cars back into the grid during peak demand. So, the amount of grid capacity needed is not as large as expected, just a much smarter system.
After a huge false start, electric cars are finally about to flourish. We speak with a technology historian about this all-too-common story, and what it means for innovation everywhere.