Developing a Test Procedure to Evaluate Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and Chargers

Abstract

This paper describes the processes used and the choices made while developing a procedure to evaluate Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) and Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) chargers and provides some results of the testing process. The procedure defines the battery charging system (i.e., the battery charger, EVSE, battery storage system, auxiliary loads, and vehicle). Each test element is evaluated in terms of function, reliability, safety, quality, cost, efficiency and power quality. The development of a charging system evaluation procedure comes from Southern California Edison’s (SCE) responsibility to ensure safe and reliable function and to minimize system impact. Up to one million PEVs have been projected to be operating in SCE’s service area by 2020. SCE must not only serve these PEVs, but must ensure that they do not have a negative impact on the utility grid. Therefore it is critical that SCE understand the impact of those battery charging systems. SCE also supports the creation of standards to limit wasted energy and negative power quality impacts that these battery charging systems may create. SCE is also using the test procedure to evaluate EVSEs and PEV charging systems for implementation in SCE’s fleet. The results of this procedure are used to give fleet managers the information needed to acquire the most effective and efficient PEV charging equipment. The results will also tell a fleet manager or PEV owner what EVSE would work best with their selected vehicle or vice versa. The procedure provides for the discovery of PEV and EVSE individual and compatibility issues before the PEV is deployed. The final result ensures optimum performance of the PEV system. Through this process, SCE has been able to work with manufacturers of PEVs and EVSEs in order to improve the functionality, robustness, and interoperability of the products.