Thorough planning for EV charging station deployment, especially with a greater emphasis on workplace charging, could cut the need for more power plants, according to a new MIT study.
Published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, the research uses data from New York City and Dallas to challenge the narrative that the inclusion of electric cars will create a much higher demand for electricity and require more power generation. The researchers argue that smarter planning will cut the need for additional power generation and take advantage of excess solar capacity.
Instead of assuming that most EV drivers would charge their cars at home in the afternoon, after returning home from work, the researchers called for additional charging at work. This would take advantage of the abundant solar generation capacity in the middle of the day rather than trying to tap into the grid in the late afternoon, when demand and peak loads are likely to be higher.
Atom Power Purpl EV charging station
Home charging still has a place in this strategy, as long as drivers delay charging until late at night. As the utility and past research have emphasized, this pushes EV charging into lower demand periods, taking advantage of excess grid capacity and potentially rewarding drivers with lower electricity rates.
Combining delayed home charging and workplace charging can be a very successful strategy,” the researchers said in a statement, adding that decisions about charger locations should emphasize these two scenarios.
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV at the EVgo fast charging station
That conclusion lines up with what a Department of Energy study showed years ago: that focusing charging around the home and workplace could be more important than simply putting chargers everywhere. And the California heatwaves of 2021 and 2022 help underline what best helps avoid using “peaker” sources—and prevent blackouts.
However, part of implementing such a strategy will be changing employers’ attitudes toward on-the-spot charges. General Motors has committed to a large number of EV chargers for its employees, but other companies need to look at workplace EV charging as more than just an advantage for their workers, according to a 2019 report.
