Far from presenting a risk to the energy system, EV uptake coupled with the right pricing structures is improving network utilisation and putting downward pressure on energy bills for everyone.
So says the Electric Vehicle Council in its latest report which refutes the potential for EVs to add load to the energy system at times of peak demand.
It says this is a risk that many parties have an interest in, particularly the energy network operators.
“A simple ‘back of the envelope’ exercise is sufficient to show that a relatively small level of EV transition has the potential to cause serious problems for networks if the majority of EV charging occurs when people return home from work in the evening,” says the EVC.
“Work of this nature has been done by CSIRO and Melbourne University among others, generally based on sample data from EV charging trial programs in non-Australian jurisdictions.
“These studies estimate that the impact on the grid during peak times could be as much as 2kW per vehicle. The CSIRO work has been used to inform AEMO’s energy system planning documents and are being relied upon in the formation of government policy.”
“As a contribution to this ongoing discussion, the EVC has drawn together real-world data on consumer EV charging behaviour in Australia.”
The EVC say it’s apparent Australian consumers with EVs are choosing to self-manage their EV charging to a significant degree.
“Most at-home EV charging currently takes place either in the middle of the night or during the middle of the day, with relatively little charging occurring during peak periods,” the report says.
“Contribution per EV to evening grid peak demand appears to be on the order of 250W.”
The council says that assuming this behaviour continues and EV uptake aligns with government targets for 50% of new vehicles to be EVs by 2030, the contribution of EVs to peak demand by 2030 is likely to be limited to about 1% of total grid peak demand.
The EVC reckons that EV charging behaviour will see an increase in the middle of the day which supports solar integration and that increased night-time power use will help drive down power prices.
The council says this aligns with global trends, especially in EV global market-leading Norway “where the transition of the first 20% of on road passenger vehicles to electric has resulted in a negligible increase in peak demand”.
“The Australian grid is relatively robust by global standards and will be augmented over time in response to population growth and increasing electrification outside of the transport sector,” the EVC says.
“In the near term, our focus needs to be on accelerating uptake of EVs and supporting consumers in making grid friendly choices, not regulating to manage potential EV-related grid impacts.
“The risk of regulation at this stage is that many proposed interventions could drive up costs and reduce consumer choice.”
The EVC says EV drivers on retail plans incentivising charging at non-peak times barely contribute to peak demand.
