Charging Hub for Electrified Mobility

Research Team: Ran Wei (lead), Nanpeng Yu, and Zuzhao Ye

UC Campus(es): 

Additional Research Partners: UC Riverside

Problem Statement: The pace of transportation electrification has greatly accelerated in recent years to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, electricity is not entirely generated from renewable resources at the moment. The overall carbon emission per kilowatt of electricity fluctuates due to the inconsistent nature of renewables such as solar and wind. Additionally, current designs and research on charging infrastructure separate electric buses and passenger cars, neglecting the great potential of coordinated charging between different transport modes. How to deploy and operate public charging infrastructure to best serve an electrified multi-modal transportation system while maximizing the benefits of decarbonization remains unclear.

Project Description: This research attempts to integrate different transport modes into the strategic planning and design of shared charging hubs to produce an efficient and low-carbon electrified transportation ecosystem. Shared charging hubs can provide holistic energy management to maximize GHG emission reduction given budget limits while balancing peak power demands by integrating real-time electricity carbon intensity (ECI) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. The model developed as part of this research was applied in Contra Costa County in California to design a shared charging hub serving bus fleets of seven transit agencies and vehicles in park-and-ride facilities at twelve rail transit stations. The model can be easily customized for other regions by integrating local data, including potential charging hub locations, transit schedules, patterns of passenger car usage, and cost factors.

Status: Completed

Budget: $74,688