Measuring electric vehicle owners’ willingness to participate in smart charging programs

Abstract As power systems transition to renewable energy, integrating battery electric vehicles (BEVs) into grid operations presents new opportunities and challenges for managing electricity demand and the associated environmental impacts from BEV charging. This study examines two grid-integration strategies: supplier-managed charging (SMC), which gives utilities control over charging timing, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G), which transforms BEVs into distributed energy storage resources. Using a discrete choice experiment with 1,356 current BEV owners, we quantify how program attributes influence enrollment decisions. Using multinomial logit models, results suggest that SMC participants predominantly value operational flexibility and recurring payments while V2G participants prefer monetary incentives, indicating a willingness to provide grid services for compensation. Through simulation analysis, we identify program ‘attribute equivalencies’ that quantify changes needed in attributes to achieve equivalent enrollment levels. These findings can be used in the design of market mechanisms and policy frameworks that accelerate BEV integration into future energy systems.