The Benefits of Randomly Delayed Charging of Electric Vehicles

The increasing use of electric vehicles, combined with the trend of higher charging currents, puts a significant strain on the electrical grid. Many solutions to this problem are being discussed, some relying on some form of smart grid, others proposing stricter regulations concerning charging electric vehicles. In this study, a different approach, called randomly delayed charging, is explored. The main idea is to charge a battery over night, but instead of starting the charging process as soon as possible, introduce a random delay, satisfying the boundary condition that the battery is sufficiently charged in the morning. Benefits of this technique are investigated by using an agent-based simulation that simulates commuters and calculates the electricity demand with temporal resolution. Results suggest that randomly delayed charging can have a significant effect on peak load caused by charging and that this benefit increases the higher the used charging current is. Randomly delayed charging can be a viable option for reducing the peak electricity demand that is caused by charging electric vehicles.