Electric vehicles
The transport sector contributes over Download30% of GHG emissions in Switzerland. A major transition is underway to zero-emission vehicles, driven largely by policy support and regulation on vehicle emissions. Over Download17% of light-duty passenger cars purchased in Switzerland in 2022 were 100% electric, and that number continues to rise. Electric vehicle charging has an impact on the electricity system, and new technologies like controlled charging and vehicle-to-X (e.g., vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-home, vehicle-to-building, …) offer new ways to leverage charging flexibility and improve that impact.
At SusTec, our research on electric vehicles includes several streams: barriers to widespread implementation of vehicle-to-X (V2X) charging control; the flexibility of electric vehicle charging based on a detailed representation of driving and plug-in behaviors; policies and pricing designs shaping electric vehicle impact on the electricity system; how Swiss firms are deciding between different zero-emission drivetrain technologies for heavy-duty trucks; and the dynamics behind charging infrastructure deployment.
Key findings:
- Although V2X can offer technical benefits such as deferred grid reinforcements at the distribution level, the potential is highly dependent on local conditions. Incentives and V2X operations should be tailored to different vehicle users. Gschwendtner et al. find it is imperative to avoid double taxation of electricity, simplify market participation for small providers, and further develop V2X standards to increase deployment. (DownloadGschwendtner et al., 2021)
- Driving profiles have a greater impact on demand flexibility than changes in plug-in behavior. (DownloadGschwendtner et al., 2023)
- Switching from overnight to daytime charging infrastructure roll-outs can greatly improve impacts of charging on the electricity system. (DownloadPowell et al., 2022)
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