A previous trial showed the way people charged their electric cars could be a big headache for the electricity sector, as mainstream consumers typically charge at peak times (4-7pm).
Adding to the existing early evening demand peak potentially creates two types of problem:
However, these could be addressed through “Smart” or “Managed” Charging. We interviewed drivers to understand their views.
They were interviewed about their experiences charging electric cars and their responses to two versions of smart charging that could be introduced to tackle the early-evening-peak problem.
The research led to a theoretical segmentation, based on themes emerging from analysis of the interviews.
"The study provides compelling evidence for how the increased electricity demand from electric vehicles can be managed. Smart managed charging was shown to be highly successful in shifting charging away from peak times. As well as lowering costs for all concerned, this can ensure that EVs are being charged from low carbon generation such as wind power, accelerating the journey towards Net Zero."
Understanding charging behaviour helps the electricity industry plan and understand the potential for smart charging to tackle the early-evening-peak problem.
It also helps electricity suppliers design smart charging Customer Value Propositions.
We used these findings to design some charging tariffs to trial.
Find out more about the trial to learn how people charged their cars.
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