Understand Electrification

Happy June! This month’s edition of Stanford University’s Understand Energy Learning Hub Energy Spotlight is a little different. We’re covering electrification in a 30-minute video presented by Dr. Diana Gragg. If you like what you see, please share widely and encourage others to subscribe. You can also check out all of our past issues!

What you need to know

What electrification is, how it works, and the benefits and challenges of electrifying end-use services in sectors like buildings and transportation.

In the news

News: China’s exports of electric vehicles (EVs) more than doubled in May 2026 from a year earlier with increased global interest in EVs as fuel prices climbed due to the war in Iran. Chinese EV manufacturers are targeting markets including Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Europe’s demand for EVs has grown significantly due to higher fuel prices.

Context: Because battery electric vehicles (BEVs*) are 3 to 4 times more efficient than their gasoline-fueled counterparts and cost 40-60% less to fuel, they’re an attractive replacement when oil prices are rising and oil supply is strained. BEVs also have the potential to use domestic energy resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower, supporting a country’s energy security.

China is the world’s largest producer of EVs, accounting for nearly 75% of EVs** produced in 2025, making the doubling of its EV exports significant. Automakers from other countries and regions (e.g., Europe) are also seeing increasing demand for EVs. Interestingly, you won’t see Chinese EVs on U.S. roads today. The U.S. has effectively banned the sale of Chinese vehicles by implementing huge tariffs and strict regulations.

*BEVs are 100% electric with an electric motor and battery that must be plugged in for charging. Hybrid EVs (HEVs) combine a gas engine with an electric motor and battery but can’t be plugged in for charging. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are like HEVs but have a larger electric battery that can be plugged in for charging.
**The International Energy Agency includes BEVs and PHEVs as EVs.

Fun Fact

Why don’t birds sitting on a power line get electrocuted?

When a bird sits on just one power line and isn’t touching the ground or a grounded utility pole, the bird’s body is not creating a pathway for the electricity to flow through. That means the electricity continues to flow through the wire rather than through the bird’s body. However, electrocution happens instantly if a bird touches two power lines or one power line and a grounded utility pole because this completes a circuit and allows the electricity to flow through the bird’s body. Larger birds with wide wingspans like hawks, eagles, and owls are particularly vulnerable.

Utility companies can mitigate the risks to birds by leaving more space between wires, covering exposed equipment with insulating guards, and adding physical deterrents (e.g., spikes) that prevent birds from landing in dangerous places.