On the Integration of Electric Vehicles to the Grid: Integration Profiles, Emerging Systems and Business Models in UML and Systems Engineering Challenges

In recent years, the Vehicles to the Grid (V2G) concept has gained significant attention as a research and development topic. Autonomous and electrical vehicles require charging to function, and the Grid can supply this service. However, the Grid, smart grids, and microgrids are made up of numerous heterogeneous power systems, including renewable energy resources, which are connected to form a single integrated power system. This system should be able to provide power services to a large number of heterogeneous customers consistently and dependably, billing them following a regulated deterministic scheme. While charging is the most prominent interface between electric and autonomous vehicles and the grid, other interfaces like communications and payment need also be considered. Therefore, a major characteristic of such a complex system and the homogenous and reliable services it should provide heterogeneous is that it interconnects numerous heterogeneous resources and commodities. The integration of so many heterogeneous subsystems requires intensive standardization, otherwise, proprietary technologies and protocols will never interoperate. The goal of this paper is to comprehensively review a systems approach in the integration of Electrical and Autonomous Vehicles into the Grid and thus, to investigate all issues in the V2G scheme, after examining in detail the V2G architecture. Moreover, other important EV/AV interactions, including V2V, V2H, and V2B are illustrated, aiming at presenting and integrating a holistic systems approach regarding all actors and interactions involved through UML modelling. Additionally, based on the above-mentioned modelling approach this study presents the potential emerging business models along with the relevant user profiles through UML diagrams. Moreover, this paper aims to discuss the state of the art in EV integration and interfacing as well as outline the current challenges and open problems towards sustainable and effective integration.