The Chargescape concept at the following link is interesting but it will have some major technical hurdles.
They are forming a company to track EV charging. EV owners will allow Chargescape to monitor their charge data and compare it to the utility to control vehicle charge rates and available charging times. While this is interesting and something like this is needed, one issue with this is that it will be difficult to translate to the distribution level where the charging actually occurs.
Ford, Honda, BMW Form Electric Vehicle Services Company
Thomas Insights, September 26, 2023
As EV’s proliferate, the bottlenecks may actually occur at the distribution transformer level. While the utility can measure system load and substation load, they have not added equipment to get granular enough to measure at the transformer level. The transformers and the distribution cables were not sized with EV charging in mind. When I charge my car, it starts with a 15 KW load and ramps down as the batteries are more fully charged. 5 cars charging simultaneously would overload a 75KVA distribution transformer with the other existing loads already on it. This type of monitoring would be better handled by the utilities with smart chargers that limited peak charging loads according to the level of other loads on the local system and the overall global system.
One other thing to note is that they speak about EV’s back feeding the system during times of peak load. It will be decades before they have enough charges installed so that cars can sit connected when they are not charging. I presently get fined by Tesla if I don’t disconnect within a few minutes of my car being charged when I use their chargers. They are in short supply and they are needed to charge cars. This has been in effect even prior to them allowing Ford and GM to have access to their system and I have encountered charging stations with lines at them in both Ithaca and Saratoga. With the state squandering resources on things like building electrification that will have a minimal effect on carbon reduction even if the property owners can afford to do it, the vehicle charging network will suffer as a result.
Further, how many vehicle owners will agree to use their vehicles for back feeding the utility system if they find out that they will receive 15% less money in return than what it cost to charge the car and also that the more frequent cycling of their batteries will shorten the vehicle life. The financial part can be overcome by paying 15% more for the energy, however battery degradation will still be there unless they perfect a totally new type of storage system with extremely high energy density.
As long as we are discussing financial issues, I pay no highway taxes and haven’t for six years. That is while driving a heavier vehicle (5400 pounds) that puts more stress on the roads because of the battery weight. While it’s great for me, it doesn’t work as a model that will allow the state to maintain the roads. At some point, electricity used for vehicle charging is going to have to have highway taxes added to the cost.
Additionally, every parking structure is going to have to be load tested to ensure that it can support the heavier vehicles.
Rich