Europe could save more than €10.6 billion in electricity grid investment by making smarter use of existing grid capacity as electric vehicle uptake grows according to modelling conducted by Siemens. The study was commissioned jointly by EIT Urban Mobility, ChargeUp Europe and ACEA and it estimates that €24.7 billion in electricity distribution grid investment would be required by 2030 to accommodate projected electric vehicle (EV) growth. Under its intelligent EV load management scenario, this requirement could drop to around €14.1 billion.
Link to the key results published
The study, Electricity Grids in Europe, assesses how the projected uptake of battery electric passenger cars and light duty vehicles could affect electricity distribution grids across the EU27 and three EEA countries. Based on six urban archetypes, the model was applied across 64 urban centres to estimate how investment, digitalisation and flexibility can prepare Europe’s electricity networks for the transition to zero emission mobility in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
The study examines the role of EV Load Management meaning the near-real-time control of electric vehicle charging power to prevent grid overload during periods of peak electricity demand, including the measurement and communications infrastructure required for this purpose. Combined with grid digitalisation, smart charging allows electricity networks to make better use of existing capacity, reducing reinforcement needs while supporting the reliable integration of millions of electric vehicles. However, it does not remove the need for physical grid reinforcement. (....)