You're right that it is still energy demand, and you're right that it's substituting oil for electricity.

But I don't know what you mean by "synthetic" since charging an EV is very much a real load, which is exactly why utilities should be the biggest fans of EV's. It's a no-brainer... "hey utilities, you know how demand for your product has been stagnant or falling? Well here's a product that can steal gasoline's market share, makes up about a third of your consumers' consumption, AND is cheaper to operate for your consumers."

Utilities should be the biggest champions of EV's.