EV charging on both sides of the pond

23 snips

Nov 30, 2023

Exploring the EV charging practices in Europe and North America, focusing on adoption rates, grid interaction, managed charging, and vehicle-to-grid technology. The challenges of unmanaged charging and the potential of managed charging in both markets. Comparing managed charging programs in vertically integrated utility territories and unbundled markets. Understanding the differences between customer-managed charging and grid-controlled charging. Exploring the potential capacity of power generation from EVs and their impact on power capacity.

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INSIGHT

EV Market Size and Charging Similarities

Europe and North America have similar EV adoption with Europe slightly ahead at 8 million EVs versus 4.5 million in the U.S.
Charging mostly happens at home in both regions, though European networks are more fragmented.

ANECDOTE

Uber Driver’s Home Charging Example

An Uber driver in the UK uses 100% home charging despite heavy daily miles.
Some EV owners without home infrastructure scavenge for on-street charging wherever they can find it.

INSIGHT

Global EV Charging Predictability

EV charging patterns worldwide are highly predictable with peak plug-in times between 6 and 8 p.m.
Unplugging is also correlated, mostly occurring between 7 and 8 a.m., regardless of region.

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For those of us in the U.S., Europe's strong electric vehicle market might offer a glimpse into the future of EV charging. In 2022 the electrification haven of Norway had a whopping 166 plugin-in electric vehicles per 1,000 residents. Germany had 20 per 1,000 residents and Europe’s largest fleet, based on reporting by Euronews. That’s far ahead of the U.S., which averaged 8.6 in 2022, according to Argonne National Laboratory.

So, it stands to reason that these countries must have insights into how to get all these vehicles charged. And Europe does indeed have a lot to teach the U.S. — but it turns out the lessons might actually go both ways.

In this episode, Shayle talks to Nick Woolley, CEO and co-founder of charging management company ev.energy, which operates in both the U.S. and Europe. (Shayle’s firm Energy Impact Partners is also an investor in ev.energy.)

They discuss topics like:

EV adoption rates and charging patterns by region
The fragmented European charging networks and Europe’s unique roaming programs that facilitate interoperability
The difference between customers who have off-street parking and their own charging infrastructure, and those who instead have to scavenge for charging
The pros and cons of Europe’s unbundled electricity markets, as compared with vertically integrated markets in the U.S.
Carrots, sticks, and compliance for managed charging, also known as V1G
The challenges of implementing vehicle-to-grid charging, or V2G

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