Enhancing EV Charging Management with Dynamic Pricing and Edge Intelligence

This paper proposes a comprehensive solution for smart charging of electric vehicles (EVs) based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge Intelligence (EI) technologies. It integrates a dynamic pricing algorithm executed by software agents and EI-based technologies for detecting parked cars at charging stations and load balancing with a Charge Point Management System (CPMS). The dynamic pricing algorithm continuously adjusts the charging costs for groups of stations based on real-time electricity demand and station availability, incentivizing off-peak charging. Furthermore, the edge solution effectively identifies the occupancy of a parking lot and simultaneously checks the charging period, preventing misuse of charging spots to maximize their availability for EVs. It represents a large-scale distributed IoT solution that relies on Modbus RTU for smart power meters, Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) to interconnect EV chargers, and Kafka messaging to seamlessly integrate parking lot occupancy and pricing information into a scalable solution. By improving the utilization of the charging stations through dynamic pricing and EI, this solution aims to reduce the load on the electricity grid to support a reliable e-mobility ecosystem.