Rapid-Charging Navigation of Electric Vehicles Based on Real-Time Power Systems and Traffic Data

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) have attracted growing attention in recent years. However, daily charging of EVs, in particular rapid charging, may impact power systems, especially during peak hours, and the effects may occur in different places as traffic conditions change. To address these issues, we describe an integrated rapid-charging navigation strategy that considers both the traffic conditions and the status of the power grid. The system is based on an intelligent transport system (ITS), and contains four modules: a power system control center (PSCC), an ITS center, charging stations, and EV terminals. The PSCC calculates the available charging capacity and station charging capacity based on power grid data and transmits the results to the charging stations. The charging stations determine their charging plans and estimate the available charging power for future EVs (CPFE), and transmit these data to the ITS center. After receiving CPFE data and traffic data from the ITS center, the EV terminal estimates the total time for charging (TTC) for different stations, which includes the driving time, waiting time, and charging time. The driver can view these results and choose to be navigated to the charging station corresponding to the minimum TTC. The modular design of the navigation system reduces data transmission, which protects the drivers' privacy since they can choose which charging station to use and are not required to send any data to the ITS system. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method for different working conditions for power system and traffic conditions.