The day/night variation in demand is a lot more than 4 GW.

I know EPRI has looked at all of this and said it could be done. It just seems like a bit of planning may be required to coordinate all of the load.

Usage patterns have been pretty predictable, but now you throw a large random factor. Adjusting your baseline because now you have an electric car would good. Time of use might come in handy.

Once this stuff catches on, I hope it is not all open loop and just plug it in any old time. Because if it is, you could end up with quite a situation.

The power company should know all about the new PHEV that you just bought and I am not sure that they will the way things are going. The way people reacted on here to commercial pickups, they might just think plugging in a PHEV any old time they feel like it is a freedom that they will not let anyone restrict.

>A Prius use 1.4kg of Cobalt - so a Volt 16kWh NiMH battery would use 14kg

Neither of the volt battery suppliers use cobalt based lithium ion batteries. Those are the ones that blow up. A123 batts are extremely powerful and safe, and already available via dewalt power tools.

sj:

When I said that 1 million PHEV for China is nothig I really meant that, for a country with almost 1.5 billion people, one million more vehicles (PHEVs) per year is not really that many and definately not enough.

Of course, with 10+ (and may be 20+) million PHEVs per year, China will definately need more power plants. For the short and mid terms, one new coal fired plant per week are being built. For the mid and long terms some 120 new large nuclear plants are to be built (in the next 20-30 years). Even USA cannot even imaging building power plants on that scale.

The same disproportion exist in road building. Have you had a look at the road building program for China, in the last 5 and next 10 years? Simply amazing.

China (and India) have an urgent need for PHEVs and BEVs (2-3-4 wheels) for lack of sufficient liquid fuel to satify 2.5 billion potential customers and to address the high air pollution problem in many major cities. NB: USA also have that type of requirement but the average American does not see it yey. Too many are still dulled by the acquired attitude that a vehicle must be 'larger and faster than yours' to be good. The next generation may be different.

Regarding the patent issues, their export manager said something like the technology is similiar but different.

Whatever that means, the consumer benefits if there is no conflict.

Lots of lawsuits against BYD RE patent infringement:

Sanyeo
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_Sept_24/ai_91974275
Sony
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5562/is_200307/ai_n22799017
Hon Hai
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2007/06/13/2003365092

Seems there's quite a bit of scuttlebut as well. Apparently they currently produce 1 in 4 of all cell phone batteries...

The population of China is well educated, urbanizing, and employed. They want cars.

Thing is, the entire population will not be able to use gas/diesel powered ICE vehicles, because the world fuel supply is simply insufficient to accommodate their market.

Right now, electric scooters are a great choice, and soon, these will be replaced with full battery electric cars. The next task will be to "green up" china's electricity production, and to ensure that new building construction is "next century" ready.

The west will then be playing 'catch-up' to a new world leader unless the same technology is implemented.

200 million of them are upwardly mobile while 800 million of them live in rural poverty. There are really two Chinas and business people should keep that in mind before they start thinking about 1 billion cans of Coke.