An Introduction to “Alternative Fuel Grades” for Electric Vehicle Fast Charging

The maximum demand payment component (MDPC) of the electricity bill, which reflects the highest level of power demand during a billing period, is a well-recognized barrier to the feasibility of electric vehicle fast-charging facilities (EVFCFs). While several studies have explored control strategies to mitigate demand peaks, they primarily focus on slow-charging facilities and fail to account for maximum demand prices. On the other hand, the few existing EVFCF-particular strategies overlook the diminished user-desired quality of service caused by the additional charging time needed for demand management. Moreover, their implementations under real-world conditions also remain unexplored. To address these issues, this work proposes a managed charging solution that explicitly considers the impact of maximum demand prices while maintaining user-desired quality of service, and implements it under real-world conditions in three different metropolitan areas in the United States. Simulation results indicate that the proposed solution can increase an EVFCF’s operational profits by 5–26% compared with conventional charging methods. The findings also highlight that the outcomes of the proposed solution are significantly influenced by the EVFCF utilization rate, the time between consecutive EV arrivals, the incumbent electric utility-specified maximum demand prices, and the user preferences of selecting the various “alternative fuel-grade options” offered at an EVFCF. These findings could pave the way for a more informed deployment of managed charging solutions at EVFCFs, thereby accelerating equitable transition to transportation electrification.