Researchers study the impact of electric vehicles
December 19, 2012Electric vehicles expected to have significant impact on energy grid
Electric vehicles are becoming more common in the world of transportation, especially as consumers become more concerned for the environment. As more of these vehicles begin to hit the streets, understanding what impact they will have on an energy grid is becoming more important. The impact that electric vehicles have on an energy grid is a subject that gets little attention, but researchers from the University of Notre Dame have announced that they are attempting to get a better grasp of this issue.
Researchers work to find a way to incorporate new vehicles efficiently
Researchers are currently attempting to develop a mathematical algorithm that may be able to help find a way to efficiently incorporate electric vehicles into an existing energy grid. Much of the focus coming from the research team is being centered on understanding the impact electric vehicles will have on an energy grid. These vehicles must be charged by drawing electrical power from a charging station. Most of these stations are connected to a city’s energy grid. As more electric vehicles hit the streets, the energy costs seen by a city are expected to increase exponentially.
Electric vehicles may be able to return unused energy to the grid
There are many factors to consider when attempting to quantify the impact electric vehicles. For now, researchers are addressing software and hardware challenges that they believe must be overcome for the efficient incorporation of electric vehicles on a large scale. Researchers are working on understanding various scenarios in which electric vehicles will be used by consumers. One of these scenarios concerns the use of personal electric charging stations, which can be installed at a residence, and how electric vehicles can draw energy from these stations as well as re-inject unused electrical power back into the energy grid.
Clean transportation promises economic growth
Researchers note that electric transportation embodies promising economic growth, especially for utility companies and the auto industry. Electric vehicles are often praised for their low operational costs when compared to traditional forms of transportation. Though these vehicles tend to be somewhat more expensive than those that run on fossil-fuels, consumers have shown intense interest in clean transportation.