Abstract
BackgroundNorway is currently in the process of replacing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs). A steadily increasing number of EVs being charged in the evening when the demand peaks are already high has added to the strain on local electricity grids. Smart charging is proposed as a solution to peak-load challenges of this kind, as it can delay charging until evenings and nights when demand peaks are generally low. However, current knowledge of the preferences and motivations of EV owners regarding the installation and use of smart chargers is lacking. Accordingly, the study aims to contribute an improved understanding in this respect.MethodsThe authors conducted a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews, in which they gained information on householder’s experiences following their participation in a pilot project to test smart charging of EVs. The interviews explored the interviewees’ motivation for participating in the project, their experiences of using and charging EVs, and their thoughts on flexibility in the timing of EV charging. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, after which a domestication theory approach was employed to perform an in-depth analysis of the interview data.ResultsThe analysis of the interviews revealed that the study participants had four motivations for participating in the smart charging demonstration project and engaging in the further use of smart charging: (1) the fire-safety aspect and speed of charging devices for EVs was better than charging from a socket; (2) they derived a broader interest in and more joy from using smart home technology; (3) attractive practical and economic benefits; and (4) the flexibility offered by smart charging had the potential to have a positive impact on physical comfort.ConclusionsThe study revealed key domestication processes unfolding in the Norwegian energy transition with the increasing numbers of EVs and the corresponding grid peaks. The findings clearly indicate that users’ motivations go much further than simple economic rationalization, which should be of interest to policymakers, smart home developers, and all others that work with end-user flexibility in the grid.
Highlights
IntroductionNew complexities emerge when changes across infrastructures and sectors affect one another [1, 2]
As energy transitions unfold, new complexities emerge when changes across infrastructures and sectors affect one another [1, 2]
By analyzing how the symbolic, practical, and cognitive aspects of the electric vehicles (EVs) charging technology are used, we have found that the domestication process is a part of a micro-network between fire safety, policies, the grid, and the EV owners’ charging practices, all of which are aspects that interact with the economic incentive that many participants pointed to as important for participating in the pilot
Summary
New complexities emerge when changes across infrastructures and sectors affect one another [1, 2]. The research focus on those working to instigate flexible energy consumption by households has been aimed at providing economic signals, often in combination with technologies mediating those signals to guide individual households to adjust their energy consumption. This strategy for providing more flexible energy consumption has often been referred to as demand-side response (DSR) or demandside management (DSM) [12]. Most mechanisms of this type are based on the assumption that individuals’ flexibility will be motivated by economic incentives and rational choices [13,14,15]. The study aims to contribute an improved understanding in this respect
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