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The increasing number of Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) impacts the power grid due to their high demand in power and energy, and uncertainties in the charging behavior. Typical PEVs are charged single-phase up to 32 A (7.2-kVA) or tri-phase up to 32 A (22.0- kVA). Both charging technologies have to be discussed in order to determine their impact on planning and operating of low-voltage distribution grids to assure a reliable and stable PEV charging. Traditional grid planning and analysis methods, which average and evenly distribute PEV loads on the distribution grid, fail in providing a realistic answer about the grid capacity to charge PEVs. The question; How many PEVs can be charged simultaneously on a distribution grid remains unanswered. Therefore, this paper describes a novel methodology to realistically evaluate the grid capacity for PEV charging on 3-phase 0.4-kV distribution grids.

Supported by generous federal incentives and customer acceptance, the number of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is increasing worldwide. A PEV can be charged both at a residential or a commercial facility by connecting it to the power grid using a charging equipment. The power demand for a single PEV charging may exceed the peak power demand of an ordinary household. Hence, an increasing number of PEVs can potentially impact the power grid massively. This paper aims to quantify the impacts of an increasing number of PEVs on power distribution circuits. A comparative analysis of the PEV impacts on the North American and European distribution circuits are presented. The study also identifies the indicators representative for quantifying the grid impacts of PEV charging. The paper further intents to clarify the interface between OEMs and utilities in achieving the common goal of a successful PEV charging and therefore a faster customer acceptance.

The market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) is gaining rapidly. Several original equipment manufacturers (OEM) have announced the start of new PEV model production. Hence charging a growing number of PEVs will have a major impact on the power grid, especially on the distribution grid. Effectively utilizing renewable energy for charging the PEV's battery is a major objective for reducing the OEM's CO2 fleet emissions due to increased efficiency of the energy consumption. Uncoordinated charging will lead to an additional load on the power grid and an inefficient utilization of renewable energy. As the charge of a PEV may double an average household consumption and usual plug-in times overlay the household consumption peak in the evening the ability of PEVs to shift their electric charging is considered grid-friendly.