June 2023

Written by Caio dos Santos, José C. G. Andrade, and Christiano Lyra Filho

Public ultra-fast charging station (with hundreds of kilowatts) infrastructures of electric vehicles (EVs) are the future and the consolidation of electromobility worldwide. The use of these technologies allows batteries to be recharged in a few minutes and brings the EV owner closer to the dynamism of refueling vehicles with combustion engines. On the brink of expansion of public charging stations with greater recharging active power, new challenges are emerging in the planning stage, such as the designing an efficient integration network to connect public ultra-fast charging stations to the power system. This article champions the idea that there is an intrinsic synergy in considering the integration of all the public ultra-fast charging stations planned for a given road network. The benefits of adopting a suitable planning strategy are described through forecasts of reduced investment and operation costs.

Written by Suresh Velamuri, Akhilesh Prakash Gupta, and Pranavamoorthy Balasubramanian

The traditional power grid was designed for unidirectional power flow, assuming controlled fossil-fuel-based sources and inelastic demand. However, the energy transition, particularly with the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), has caused significant changes in power system planning and operation. EVs can overload the grid and cause localized power outages, particularly if the charging infrastructure is not properly designed or managed. Power systems must adapt to bidirectional power flows, low inertia grids, price-responsive demands, and changing human behavior.

Written by Angshu Plavan Nath and Zakir Hussain Rather

Electric vehicles have seen rapid growth as a response to increased concerns over global warming and climate change. By eliminating the tailpipe emissions, the EVs would help in improving the local air quality while also being a tool for energy security [1]. Powering these fleets of EVs can add a significant load to the electricity grid. While the additional energy needed to power the EVs would roughly constitute 2.7% of individual countries’ total energy generation, the impact on the local energy distribution is far more significant [1].

Written by Constance Crozier

The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) can contribute significantly to our decarbonization goals [1]. However, there are concerns about the impacts that the installation of charging infrastructure will have on both power transmission and distribution systems [2][3]. The focus of existing studies has been on residential charging – which represents the majority of early adopter charging sessions.