Abstract:

We will see a shift in existing car fleet sales in the future years, from traditional fuel engines to electric vehicles (EVs), particularly passenger light-duty vehicles. They plug into the grid and store the electricity in rechargeable batteries; therefore, the widespread adoption of EVs will bring many challenges for the distribution network. Forecasting the impact of EVs on distribution networks is a difficult task given the uncertainty on the potential evolution of their sales. This study indicates the EVs sales growth for the 2020–2030 decade in 3 possible evolution scenarios carried out for a given Portuguese regional area. The demanded energy for charging the batteries was estimated, considering one long and one short route. The analysis was applied to three EVs models: Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model 3, and Renault Zoe. Their impacts on the rated power of the distribution network are calculated for the three scenarios, and the results are presented, standing out the insufficient power at peak hours. Because the expansion of EVs is a reality for the near future, this study has revealed that distribution network reinforcement is urgently needed.