Smart Charging of Electric Vehicles

New algorithms for efficient allocation of electric vehicles – parking and energy resources between electric vehicles. Cooperation with partners in Quebec (Concordia University), Bavaria (University of Passau) and Ireland (University College Dublin).

While managing fuel in traditional cars is simple because there are plenty of gas stations and refuelling takes one minute, managing the state of charge of electric vehicles is hard. Charging takes many minutes or even hours, during which the car requires a parking space. The rate of charging can also be controlled based on a tradeoff between available power and degradation of the charging equipment. The decisions of the driver include: Will there be a charging station available by the time I arrive there? How long should I charge it for? Should I use fast charging at the expense of the lifetime of the battery? Can I pay less for charging by making a longer detour? Are there any activities to do while I wait for the car to charge? We propose automating the decisions after asking a few questions to each driver on his or her preferences.

So far, we have developed new algorithms to efficiently allocate parking and power resources to electric vehicles. These algorithms have the important features of requiring very little communication, preserving user privacy, and achieving optimal social welfare. This is a joint work with partners in Quebec (Concordia University), Bavaria (University of Passau), and Ireland (University College Dublin). We acknowledge the support of the Gouvernement du Quebec through a PSVT grant.