How, where, and when to charge electric vehicles – net-zero energy system implications and policy recommendations

Abstract

A coordinated Charging Infrastructure (CI) strategy could accelerate the adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). Policymakers need to understand the tradeoffs between several types of CI developments. To support decision-makers, we apply the Swiss TIMES Energy system Model, which we extended with heterogeneous consumer segments with four trip types and several CI options. The novelty of this work lies in the interplay of such method advancements, representing BEV charging options with various CI types that can be accessed based on their location type at an hourly intraday temporal resolution. In explorative scenario analyses, we evaluate the effects of CI on car fleet deployment and their energy system implications in achieving net-zero CO2 emissions in Switzerland by 2050. Our analysis shows that the BEV share makes up 39%–77% of the fleet by 2050, and each BEV needs about 5 kW total charging capacity, split into 1.6–2.6 BEVs per private charger and 18–25 BEVs per public charger. Providing overnight charging access through private home chargers or public chargers in residential areas facilitates a 12%–20% increased BEV penetration compared to the reference scenario. For consumers without private home charging, improved public CI in non-residential areas increases BEV uptake by 24%. While low-power slow CI is cost-effective at home, high-power fast CI in commercial areas supports integration of solar PV. We highlight the need for coordinated CI policies and provide a variety of policy options based on our analysis and international insights.