The Efficiency of Batteries Shows the Renewable Energy Transition Doesn't Need As Much Energy As You Think

Battery electric vehicles are superior at converting energy from their energy sources, batteries, than gas cars are from gasoline. This shows that not as much energy is needed for the renewable energy transition.

The Efficiency Of Battery Energy -VS- Gas and ICE

Battery Electric Vehicles (or EVs for short) are much more efficient in their energy usage than gas cars. You can expect a gas car to get about 20% of its energy from its fuel source, and an EV to get 60% or more from its fuel source - its battery.

Take a look at this image below, that shows the MPGe or "miles per gallon equivalent" of some of Tesla's EVs:

Those large numbers, such as 121, 121, and 134 represent how far Tesla's EVs, according to EPA standards, would travel on one gallon of gas.

One gallon of gas has about 33.7 kWh in terms of raw energy - however, as mentioned, only about 20% of that is actually converted and used.

This is the reason gas cars are usually around 20 to 30 MPG or "miles per gallon". If a gas car was able to utilize 60% or more of the energy of the gasoline, the transition to EVs might take a lot longer!

Tesla EV Efficiency

Furthermore, consider that a Model 3 or Y long range that has a 75 kWh battery has the equivalent of a 2.2 gallon fuel tank. Yet, those vehicles can do around 300 miles of real world range.

At a typical gas car tank of 10 miles, you're looking at close to 1,500 miles of range for the equivalent amount of gas. My Honda Fit, which had a 12 gallon gas tank, could go over 300 miles if driven conservatively. Imagine that the range was 900 miles on that car. That would be something else and, as I said, slow down the EV transition.

ICE powertrains are simply inefficient at converting the energy from the gas they use, while an EV is much more efficient.

There are also the energy costs involved with gasoline that are not negligible. It takes energy to pump gas, transport gas, and to put gas into usable fuel at a gas station. It also takes energy to make the gasoline.

EVs also require energy to make - to mine the Lithium and other raw materials, to refine the raw materials, and to construct the battery and EV that is drivable.

The renewable energy transition is all about using as much of renewable and clean energy as possible in order to do this.

A Lithium-ion battery supposedly has the highest energy conversion of the existing batteries on the market, at about 80% to 95%.

What this means is that the renewable and battery energy transition won't need as much energy as you might think. It will take about 30% to 50% of what is anticipated to meet the current needs - although, there will be more demands in the future that require more than that.

At some point, the renewable energy transition reaches a point that most of the world is running on renewable energy. At that point, what happens?

I don't think research into energy sources will stop. At some point, someone is going to discover an energy source even more cost effect and efficient than batteries, and that will become the next energy transition.

The great thing about batteries and EVs is that this energy is plentiful as long as the sun shines in the sky and there are enough minerals in the earth available, of which there are plenty.

What do you think about the energy efficiency of batteries -vs- gas cars? Will the renewable energy transition take less energy than we think because of the efficiency of batteries?

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Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.

Image Credit: DALL-E AI

Article Reference: AI DRIVR