Solar and Electric Vehicles: A Guide for Local Governments

Both solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and electric vehicles (EVs) are quickly becoming more popular among businesses, local governments, and households, as costs dramatically go down and more people seek out the benefits of these clean energy technologies. The long-term trend remains clear: Solar PV and EVs are poised to take over increasing shares of the electricity and transportation fuels markets in the next few years. Local governments can optimize the impact of combining these two technologies by working with utility commissions, industry, and other stakeholders to develop coordinated PV and EV policy approaches that take into account the unique attributes …

Innovation Outlook: Smart charging for electric vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) hold the key to unleash synergies between clean transport and low-carbon electricity. Just as future transport must be increasingly electrified, future power systems must make maximum use of variable renewable energy sources. Smart charging for EVs minimises their load impact and unlocks the flexibility to use more solar and wind power.

This outlook from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows how policy and technological breakthroughs can advance the development of this key enabling technology for renewables. Through smart charging, EV batteries can help to integrate high shares of solar and wind power into existing grids, as …

Battery Electric Vehicles

In 2018, electric vehicle (EV) production hit a milestone with approximately 2 million units sold globally. By 2030, we forecast a 950% increase to 21 million units, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounting for a substantial 70% of global sales in the EV market.

Technology, government incentivisation and a shift in consumer behaviour are some of the factors in the growth of the EV market. The research shows by 2022, technological advancements will put the cost of owning an EV on par with traditional petrol or diesel vehicles. This will eliminate one of the greatest barriers to purchase, boosting demand …

Evidence of a Homeowner-Renter Gap for Electric Vehicles

Who are Driving Electric Vehicles? An analysis of factors that affect EV adoption in Hawaii

Electric vehicles (EVs) have the potential to reduce local air pollution as well as greenhouse gas
emissions, assuming they are predominantly powered with renewable energy. Upon their
reintroduction to the mass vehicle market in 2010, President Obama set a goal of having a million
on the road in the U.S. by 2015. Similarly, in Hawaii, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative target was
to have 10,000 EVs on the road by 2015 and 40,000 by 2020. Despite policy support, actual rates of
EV adoption have fallen substantially short of stated goals. By the end of 2017, there were about
770,00 EVs …

A brief review on key technologies in the battery management system of electric vehicles

Batteries have been widely applied in many high-power applications, such as electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles, where a suitable battery management system (BMS) is vital in ensuring safe and reliable operation of batteries. This paper aims to give a brief review on several key technologies of BMS, including battery modelling, state estimation and battery charging. First, popular battery types used in EVs are surveyed, followed by the introduction of key technologies used in BMS. Various battery models, including the electric model, thermal model and coupled electro-thermal model are reviewed. Then, battery state estimations for the state of charge, …

A Comprehensive Study of Implemented International Standards, Technical Challenges, Impacts and Prospects for Electric Vehicles

The impending environmental issues and growing concerns for global energy crises are driving the need for new
opportunities and technologies that can meet significantly higher demand for cleaner and sustainable energy systems. This necessitates the development of transportation and power generation systems. The electrification of the transportation system is a promising approach to green the transportation systems and to reduce the issues of climate change. This paper inspects the present status, latest deployment, and challenging issues in the implementation of EVs infrastructural and charging systems in conjunction with several international standards and charging codes. It further analyzes EVs impacts and …

Utilities and Electric Vehicles

Over the past several years, questions have arisen surrounding the role of electric utilities in the
growing electric vehicle (EV) market. As regulators make critical decisions in the coming years, they
should be mindful of the central role utilities will play to minimize the potential grid impacts of
this new load and increase access to important charging infrastructure.

Utilities have proven their ability to adapt and innovate to handle new challenges. For example, many utilities today have demand response programs that minimize system peaks caused by air conditioning on hot summer days or heating on cold winter nights. Similarly, we …

The 50 States of Electric Vehicles

The purpose of this report is to provide state and local lawmakers and regulators, electric
utilities, the electric power industry, the transportation industry, and other energy stakeholders
with timely, accurate, and unbiased updates about how states are choosing to study, adopt,
implement, amend, or discontinue policies associated with electric vehicles. This report
catalogues proposed and approved legislative, regulatory, and utility rate design changes
affecting electric vehicles during the most recent quarter, as well as state and investor-owned
utility proposals to deploy electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.…

The Barriers to Acceptance of Plug-in Electric Vehicles: 2017 Update

This report details American public sentiments toward issues surrounding plug-in electric
vehicles (PEVs) and is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies
Office in alignment with its mission to research and implement these technologies to improve
energy security, enhance mobility flexibility, reduce transportation costs, and increase
environmental sustainability.

A PEV is broadly defined as a vehicle that can be plugged in, is powered by an electric motor,
and uses energy stored in an onboard battery. The definition encompasses all-electric vehicles
(AEVs) that are powered by electric motors only and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)
that can also be …