Charging EVs Efficiently NOW While Waiting for the Smart Grid

Abstract

Due to a century of gas-tank / gas-station legacy, most of the current focus on Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging has been with respect to public charging, range anxiety, charging speed, and grid impact. Unfortunately, this focus overlooks the existing grid structure that is readily available at little to no additional cost (the ubiquitous 120V outlet) and overlooks the convenience of charging-while-parked The true promise of the EV is its ability to charge anywhere/everywhere from the national grid instead of only at “stations”. And the most prevalent, accessible, and visible manifestation of the grid is this standard 120v outlet (L1 charging). The often touted issues of availability, time-to-charge, and impact on the grid virtually vanish when EV's are simply plugged into a standard outlet while parked at home and at work. Simple 120v charging is practical, low cost, efficient, and is a minimal impact approach to achieve smart grid functionality now while waiting for the future Smart Grid. Convenient technology exists to facilitate this simple “85% solution” but it also requires education and public outreach to be effective.