Multimodal Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment: Toward a Sustainable and Resilient Mobility

In the last years, the mobility sector is undergoing a significant transformation. Electric Vehicles (EVs) are progressively replacing traditional Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs), thanks to the lack of direct Green House Gas (GHG) and pollutant emissions: a great step toward decarbonized and sustainable energy systems. Nevertheless, the growing diffusion of EVs is also introducing relevant concerns, particularly about the placement and installation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). The total amount of electric power required by each charge point is a serious limiting issue: EVSE can be installed only in those locations where the distribution grid is able to feed it. The research project MoSoRe addresses this problem by proposing a multimodal EVSE able to work both in islanded and grid-tied modes, thanks to the use of a local photovoltaic systems, an electrochemical energy storage system, and an auxiliary generator. In this research work, the architecture of the multimodal EVSE, the requirements in terms of the types of charging sockets, power sources, and the related control strategies, will be discussed in detail, along with the required communication interfaces. The strategies used for the power management of both the loads and generators of the multimodal EVSE were validated in a simulation environment.