The EU’s power grids need help to cope with the surge in electricity demand from EV charging, which can add up to 5% of annual peak demand. Moreover, that is without accounting for the impact of electrification on other applications, such as heating and cooling.
In the short term, the solution to these challenges lies in increasing the capacity of existing transmission and distribution networks. However, in the longer term, smarter EV charging controls can mitigate the need for such investments and reduce grid impacts by adjusting when and where vehicles charge to match system needs better.
A significant barrier to the widespread adoption of EVs is the availability of reliable, convenient, and affordable charging stations. The European Union plans to upgrade its national networks by deploying a network of fast chargers located every 60 kilometers along designated roads for passenger cars and 100 kilometers for trucks. However, the buildout needs to be fixed.
Moreover, the ability to top up an EV battery can depend on whether a charging station is connected to a high-voltage power line, known as a “hub,” that connects it to the broader power grid. This process involves requesting that local utility distribution companies (DSOs) install the necessary cables, which take months to complete.
However, even then, not all hubs are fully operational. In Spain, for example, nearly half of Repsol’s 1,600 charging stations lie dormant because the power connections are not working. The problem is standard across the EU, where insufficient infrastructure has slowed EV growth.
Last week, the European Commission announced a new roadmap to improve the bloc’s energy systems, including addressing EV charging station power shortages. It aims to ensure all Europeans have access to the technology in their vehicles by 2025 and targets a 50% share of trips in zero-emission vehicles by 2030.
Identifying and mitigating the system consequences of transportation electrification is essential to support equitable widespread adoption, support renewable integration, and smooth the transition to a decarbonized future. However, identifying and mitigating these system impacts requires models that reflect future drivers’ diverse behaviors and conditions.
To this end, PG&E’s model simulates four scenarios of EV charging, ranging from universal home charging to limited access, and models their impact on the regional demand profile. To estimate the timing of peak demand from each scenario, we use a model that takes into account timer control in residential charging and load modulation controls in workplace charging.
The model also examines the impact of bidirectional functionality. This feature allows customers to use their giant EV batteries to provide energy back to the grid or export electricity to the grid. Bidirectional capability is rapidly expanding as automakers equip their new EVs with it. For example, Ford’s all-electric F150 Lightning is available with this capability. This can help reduce grid stress and smooth peak power events, and it can be supported by policies that compensate consumers to encourage them to participate in these programs.