Vehicle electrification: Implications on generation and distribution network

There is perhaps no better symbol of the twenty-first century than the automobile. It is the dominant means of transport aspired to throughout the world. However, as demand for mobility continues to rise around the world, environmental and energy problems are rapidly making transportation as we know it unsustainable for our society. Thus, the role of the automobile in the future needs to be rigorously re-examined. Vehicles are becoming part of a much bigger “energy network”, wherein communication and optimization play a key role. In addition to driving pattern information, to optimize vehicle performance, the knowledge of projected vehicle charging demand on the power grid is necessary to build an intelligent energy management controller for future plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. The impact of charging millions of vehicles from the power grid could be significant, in the form of increased loading of power plants, transmission and distribution lines, emissions, and economics. Therefore this effect should be considered in an intelligent way by controlling/scheduling the charging through a communication based distributed control. This paper focuses on the use of electricity as a transportation energy source, and outlines how new and existing technologies could change work and driving patterns resulting in a different mix of vehicles and in a communication architecture serving as the backbone of the interaction between vehicles and utility grid.