The U-M Transportation Research Institute will partner with Utilidata to better understand how the increasing use of EVs can be expected to affect the electrical grid. The research will involve the use of artificial intelligence-powered technology, a first-of-its-kind platform.
Researchers have installed the technology on multiple EV charging stations across the U-M campus to collect data on grid impacts.
“As more people invest in electric vehicles, our electric grid needs to be ready to support the influx in energy demand,” said Josh Brumberger, Utilidata’s top executive officer.
“Access to real-time insights of when EVs are charging will help utilities identify charging locations and design better EV programs for customers.”
The company will use its “smart grid chips” to collect real-time voltage, current, and power data at the edge of the grid, which will allow researchers to analyze and find EV charging patterns at each location. The data will be studied alongside vehicle data from a group of participants in the project who have a vehicle-monitoring device installed on their EV.
Participants will have their start and stop time for charging, charging site, trips taken, and both acceleration and deceleration.
The idea is that closely analyzing driving and charging behavior will lead to a better understanding of how to manage EV demand on the grid, and help utilities develop customer charging programs.
Results of the research are expected later this year.
EVs are projected to comprise nearly 50% of all car sales by 2030 and Michigan’s goal is to build out the infrastructure needed to support 2 million EVs on its roads and highways by that time.
The rise in EV purchases are expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change by decreasing the number of internal-combustion engine vehicles on the roads. The trend will also increase the demand for electricity from the power grid.
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