Fast charging stations for electric vehicles infrastructure

Abstract

The growing problem of climate change associated with high oil prices is increasing the interest and research on electric vehicles (EVs). EVs due to the storage capacity provided by the batteries can supply or store electricity when parked. At the same time the electric power grid and light vehicle fleet can be exceptionally complementary as systems for managing energy and power. In the case of isolated systems, such as the islands, the introduction of EVs could be very beneficial not only environmentally since they are competing directly with the internal combustion engine vehicles but also economically and in the energy mixture of the local system. But to drive these vehicles, it is necessary to have a charged battery. To assure this, an infrastructure system is needed, connected to the grid, that can provide a parking charge (so that EVs can charge at homes, offices, public parks, etc) and an ongoing charge (so that travellers can refill their EV power in a fast process, like a fast charging station or a switching battery facility). Fast charging is mainly for commercial and public applications and is intended to perform similarly to a commercial gasoline service station, aiming to achieve a 50% charge in an EV's battery in 10 to 15 minutes. This work studies and evaluates the fast charging infrastructure and the developed methodology that can optimize the station profit and still provide a charging price lower than the fuel price at the gas stations. The model simulates the fast charging price for drivers at the station and compares with the house night charging and with the internal combustion engine (ICE) fuel (diesel and gasoline) at the gas stations, for the Portuguese case. © 2010 WIT Press.