Future standard and fast charging infrastructure planning: An analysis of electric vehicle charging behaviour. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morrissey, Patrick; Weldon, Peter; O'Mahony, Margaret
• Is Part Of: Energy policy. Volume 89(2016)
• Page Start: 257
• Page End: 270
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: Electric vehicle -- Fast chargers -- Public charging infrastructure; Energy policy -- Periodicals; Politique énergétique -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.12.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-4215

Abstract

Abstract: There has been a concentrated effort by European countries to increase the share of electric vehicles (EVs) and an important factor in the rollout of the associated infrastructure is an understanding of the charging behaviours of existing EV users in terms of location of charging, the quantity of energy they require, charge duration, and their preferred mode of charging. Data were available on the usage of charging infrastructure for the entire island of Ireland since the rollout of infrastructure began. This study provides an extensive analysis of this charge event data for public charging infrastructure, including data from fast charging infrastructure, and additionally a limited quantity of household data. For the household data available, it was found that EV users prefer to carry out the majority of their charging at home in the evening during the period of highest demand on the electrical grid indicating that incentivisation may be required to shift charging away from this peak grid demand period. Car park locations were the most popular location for public charging amongst EV users, and fast chargers recorded the highest usage frequencies, indicating that public fast charging infrastructure is most likely to become commercially viable in the short- to medium-term. Highlights: Electric vehicle users prefer to charge at home in the evening at peak demand times. Incentivisation will be necessary to encourage home charging at other times. Fast charging most likely to become commercially viable in short to medium term. Priority should be given to strategic network location of fast chargers. Of public charge point locations, car park locations were favoured by EV users.