Assessment of the potential of electric vehicles and charging strategies to meet urban mobility requirements

Abstract

To integrate electromobility into modern urban mobility, it is necessary to assess the usability\nand potential of hybrid, plug-in and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to meet urban mobility\nrequirements, as well as their impact on electric distribution grid. Despite the progress\nthat has been made in this field over the last decade, many technical issues still need to be\naddressed. This paper presents the results of a large-scale analysis of real-world driving data\nfrom activity databases, anonymously collected by Global Positioning System devices installed\non conventional fuel vehicles. These data were processed to derive whether different types of\nBEVs and recharging strategies can meet urban mobility needs. The impact of the electric\nenergy demand on the grid from a partially electrified urban fleet has also been addressed. The\nstudy involves approximately 28,000 vehicles, 4.5 million trips and 36 million kilometres in\nthe Italian provinces of Modena and Firenze, monitored over a one-month period (i.e. May\n2011). The results can contribute to assess the future integration of the electromobility in urban\nenvironment, their impact on the electric energy demand profile as well as possible scenarios\nfor future European transport policies.