Impacts of fast charging of electric buses on electrical distribution systems

Electric buses have gained a large public interest lately. In Gothenburg, Sweden, a demonstration project is currently underway where electrical and hybrid electric buses are being tried. This study investigates the impacts on the electrical distribution system from the fast-charging stations used to power the electric buses. Alternatives to mitigate the impacts including demand response (DR) and energy storage at the charge location have also been investigated in the study. A case study has been performed for the distribution system of Chalmers University of Technology where a charging station is located. The study results show that in all of the simulated areas, the grid could handle a 300 kW charge station without any problems. Energy storage and DR could, to some extent, support the grid to manage the fast-charging stations but would be limited by the utilisation factor of the charger.