Read this post to learn more about how the charging infrastructure of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is changing as the market continues to grow.
When it comes to Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers, there’s not one size that fits all.
As fast charging infrastructure scales up, more urban drivers are opting to buy EVs. Commercial vehicle owners are also evaluating the viability of converting their fleets.
For 2023, global EV sales were projected to reach 18% of passenger vehicle sales. But while electric car sales in the United States increased 55% in 2022 to 8%, Europe (20%) and China (29%) are further ahead. If 2023 is the year EVs enter the mainstream, it will put pressure on EV chargers to keep pace.
Municipalities must consider loads on the electrical grid, the differing densities of downtown cores and suburbs and the benefits of bi-directional charging, while rural areas present an entirely different horizon.
The road ahead requires a mix of chargers. Not all gas-powered vehicles get the same number of miles per gallon; the kW, voltage and amps required by EVs vary, too. Battery capacity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), and the average EV gets two to six miles per kWh, which means a 50-kWh battery has a range between 100 and 300 miles.
The cost of electricity at different times of the day will influence when EV owners charge their vehicles as utilities charge more at peak times. Drivers want to save money and utilities must balance electrical grid load.
A fleet of larger commercial vehicles will have unique energy demands. They’re going to want to charge up in various locations with fast chargers.
Diversity Demands a Flexible Charging Infrastructure
Chargers will be expected to mirror the convenience and dependability of gas stations to serve customers of all kinds.
Condominium towers and hi-rise apartments will want to house fast chargers, businesses will want to have their own chargers and municipalities will want to offer fast charging infrastructure as part of their efforts to be seen as a sustainable “smart city.”
As the EV market has matured, standards have emerged with three levels of chargers that reflect the different vehicles and charging scenarios:
Level 1: These 120V chargers are universal; if there is a standard North America electrical outlet socket available, it should be able to charge the average EV, but 110-120V is the bare minimum, which means it would take days, not hours.
Level 2: At 240V, charge times are quicker, and typical for most public charging stations. EV owners will want a Level 2 charger in their home to charge up their vehicle overnight.
Level 3: EVs are getting “supercharged” with what are known as DC fast chargers (DCFCs). Level 1 and 2 chargers use alternating current (AC) methods to draw power directly from the grid, but Level 3 chargers are hitting 480V and higher, reducing charge time to under a half hour, but at a premium cost.
There are also standards for connectors—Level 1 and Level 2, and DC fast charging connectors.
All these standards matter when it comes to geographic considerations as well as capabilities and features.
Rural Requirements Diverge From City Driving
A downtown core needs different chargers than a suburb. In rural areas, chargers must support long-distance vehicles, while farmers may be converting tractors and other equipment to run on electric power.
Charging infrastructure will be a mixed bag from community to community, all of which must consider the capabilities of the electrical grid. Chargers must be integrated into older neighborhoods along with greenfield installations in new buildings and suburbs.
Charging infrastructure must balance the requirements for the typical resident’s EV, as well as heavier trucks and industrial vehicles—a shipping company will want chargers at their warehouse so trucks can rapidly power up while they are being loaded and unloaded. The local grid must be resilient enough to handle the EV charging demands of large, commercial fleets.
All Roads Lead Back to the Grid
Chargers are going to do more than just power EVs—in the longer term, they will be bi-directional as to enable vehicle-2-grid (V2G) and vehicle-2-vehicle (V2V) applications to give back power.
In a V2G scenario, an EV battery could help maintain grid stability and demand shifting during peak hours. V2G capability becomes even more compelling during emergencies like a blackout. EVs owned by the city could power essential buildings (V2B) and (V2E) equipment, while a residential tower could tap into the vehicles charging in its parking garage to keep power on. An EV that sends power back essentially becomes an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Businesses with a parked EV fleet could tap into them to enable demand shifting to reduce their own electricity costs, while a rural farm could leverage bi-directional charging to have a “tender truck” that would become a mobile station to charge tractors and other farm equipment.
As EVs become more widely adopted, charging infrastructure is going to be expected to do more than charge a vehicle quickly. It will need to be versatile to balance the needs of different vehicles, bi-directional scenarios and a mix of new and old infrastructure.
Wayne Liang, May 28, 2024
Tags/Keywords: Automotive and Transportation
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