Automotive Engineering - April 2023 - 24

Rethinking
THE
GRID
for EVs
The shift to vehicle-to-grid
(V2G) turns EVs into energy
storage systems that can
relieve pressure on the grid.
Interoperability and 'smart' energy management are vital for meeting
EV charging demand.
by Thomas Goetzl
T
he clock is ticking for the automotive industry to meet looming
" greener " energy deadlines, which will come into effect at the
end of the decade. Achieving widescale adoption of electric
vehicles (EVs) and meeting the mandates will require significant
changes. One area that needs more attention is how to power
the transition to an electric future.
With the demand for electricity expected to grow nearly 20% by 2050
due to EVs and other clean tech initiatives, the grid is under immense
pressure. With the aging infrastructure already creaking, expecting it to
support this growth is not feasible using the established electricity value
chain: generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption.
Successfully powering the transition requires utilities and the broader
ecosystem to collaborate and look at energy capacity in new ways.
As more EVs take to the road, coupled with fast charging networks,
the growing load on the grid could drive a mismatch of supply
and demand, increasing the likelihood of system-wide failures.
Moving forward, interoperability and intelligent energy management
are vital, requiring all parties, including policymakers, to develop a
roadmap to ensure the necessary capacity.
Renewable energy resources, including wind and solar, will help.
But their inherent variability has the potential to further exacerbate
challenges of supply/demand mismatch. This is why energy storage
is so important. Careful coordination and intelligent utilization are
critical to ensure a balance between demand and generation.
Energy generation & distribution
Centralized generation and unidirectional power flow are not the answer
for meeting the challenge. Instead, innovations such as bidirectional
power flow, which takes energy from the grid when demand is
low to recharge the vehicle and then sells the excess power back to the
24 April 2023
grid, will be critical. Tesla's opt-in program sends power
from its batteries back to the grid during peak demand.
The shift to vehicle-to-grid (V2G) turns EVs into energy
storage systems that can relieve pressure on the grid.
New intelligent power conversion technology and utility
communication capabilities built into EVs and charging
stations enable V2G. Additionally, they allow vehicles to
communicate with, and help stabilize the grid by using
the onboard battery as a grid-tied energy storage system.
Bidirectional chargers are starting to become available,
with Nissan and Ford introducing their first versions
(https://www.sae.org/news/2022/01/bi-directional-charging-amps-up).
However, the systems are
not inexpensive and often require additional specialized
hardware. Encouraging individuals to embrace
V2G will require utilities to implement an incentive
program to accelerate uptake.
Utilities, automotive companies and charging infrastructure
organizations must collaborate to use EVs as
energy storage distributed energy resources (DERs) to
support the grid and improve resiliency. Adding innovative
energy storage solutions is critical as building
out capacity to the existing grid is not viable. By enabling
higher levels of renewable energy, this supports
sustainability efforts and net-zero initiatives.
Interoperability & standardization
Another component of smart energy management is
making interoperability mandatory. The existing grid is
fragmented, and regulations are vital so the industry
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
KEYSIGHT
https://www.sae.org/news/2022/01/bi-directional-charging-amps-up https://www.sae.org/news/2022/01/bi-directional-charging-amps-up
Automotive Engineering - April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - April 2023
