Solving the 90% Infrastructure Energy Challenge for Passenger Electric Vehicles

Abstract

Based on actual daily driving data, about 90% of passenger electric vehicle energy needs, both in the U.S. and in China, can be supported by charging from conventional single-phase outlets. This represents about half of all transportation energy, once the transition to electricity is complete. Basic outlet infrastructure is far cheaper and more scalable than the faster infrastructure emphasized in much present work. Comparisons are made to show how basic outlets can serve as critical electrification infrastructure. The vehicles themselves can support measurement, metering, and communication for billing and for grid flexibility. A vehicle owner can choose to support limited flexibility, controlled by the vehicle itself, to track for minimum energy pricing. Alternatively, for even lower prices, a vehicle owner could allow a grid operator or aggregator to modulate charging and support dynamic grid services. The work shows how infrastructure in a city can scale to millions of energy access points.