Benefits of an Electric Road System for Battery Electric Vehicles
Journal article, 2022

Electric road systems (ERS)—infrastructure that allows for charging while driving—are currently considered in Sweden for electrifying long-haul trucking. The technology can also charge battery electric passenger vehicles (BEVs). This study utilizes real-world car movement data in Sweden and detailed spatial analysis to explore to what extent ERS could displace stationary charging if it is available for BEVs and the expected benefits. We find that ERS utilization and the minimum battery ranges depend more on visited locations and home locations and less on the annual travel distances of car users. The median battery ranges required by rural residents are 15–18% greater than for urban residents. Our scenarios suggest that a mix of ERS and home-charging would achieve the most significant benefits. ERS with home charging reduces the required battery range by 62–71% in the main scenarios, and the net savings from smaller BEV batteries exceed the cost of ERS. Eliminating all stationary charging is feasible for many but not all vehicles. Utilizing ERS could also significantly reduce peak BEV charging by distributing charging throughout the day. We also find that there is a considerable difference between the maximum possible and minimum needed charging on ERS, which can significantly influence ERS revenues. Future studies can expand to include other modes (e.g., trucks) to provide more holistic assessments of economic benefits and charging needs.

battery electric vehicle

electric battery

electric road system

electric charging infrastructure

dynamic charging

Author

Wasim Shoman

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Physical Resource Theory

Sten Karlsson

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Physical Resource Theory

Sonia Yeh

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Physical Resource Theory

World Electric Vehicle Journal

2032-6653 (ISSN)

Vol. 13 11 197

Subject Categories

Vehicle Engineering

DOI

10.3390/wevj13110197

More information

Latest update

11/24/2022