Evaluations of plug-in electric vehicle distribution system impacts

With plug-in electric vehicles poised to enter the automotive market this year, a remaining concern for electrical distribution utilities is the potential impact these loads may have on their system and how to account for them in their planning process. In order to address this concern, EPRI has initiated a multi-utility project to quantify the potential impacts across numerous distribution feeders of varying characteristics. As part of this project, an analysis methodology which accounts for PEV spatial and temporal diversities has been developed and used to study these potential impacts. Preliminary findings from some of the initial circuits studied are presented as well as initial insights developed thus far.