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Fuel Fact of the Week

Fact #1161: A Tool is Available for Estimating Charging Loads from Plug-In Electric Vehicles

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has recently upgraded their Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projection (EVI-Pro) Lite tool to inform industry stakeholders about the electricity needed to charge plug-in vehicles. Within the tool, users can customize to their own specifications for:

• Location (city and state)
  
• Number of plug-in vehicles
  
• Average daily miles per vehicle
  
• Average ambient temperature
  
• All-electric vehicle share
  
• Vehicle type
  
• Share of workplace/home charging
  
• Charging levels
  
• Charging time of day.

Real-world travel data from consumers are used to model future requirements for residential, workplace, and public charging under different scenarios. The model results for the electric load profile for a fleet of 1,000 plug-in vehicles in Indianapolis, IN, are shown below as an example. EVI-Pro Lite is also useful for estimating the number of electric vehicle chargers needed in an area to sustain a certain number of plug-in vehicles.

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Past Fuel Facts of the Week.

Question of the Month

How is fuel economy determined and reported for alternative fuel vehicles?

Last month we learned about how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines and reports conventional light-duty vehicle fuel economy ratings. While alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) fuel economy testing is largely similar to that of conventional fuels, the EPA makes some adjustments to account for different vehicle technology and fuel energy content. By tailoring AFV fuel economy testing and reporting, the EPA is able to provide apples-to-apples comparisons and allow consumers to make informed decisions.

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