Cost implications of battery electric vehicle charging and grid integration: A household and utility perspective from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

The large-scale adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) presents a significant challenge to power demand due to the electricity required for vehicle charging. To address this challenge, this study examines the economic impact of BEV ownership on household electricity costs and the potential benefits of grid integration based on Tokyo Metropolitan Area (TMA) Person Trip Survey data. Unlike previous studies that overlook localized electricity pricing and behavioral variation, this research introduces a bottom-up simulation model integrating household driving patterns, charging behaviors, and utility rate structures across 14 zones in the TMA. The model incorporates different utility rate structures and charging strategies, including both grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications. A key innovation of this research is evaluating how premium costs (related to charging methods) and utility electricity rate plans (based on charging times) affect the monthly electricity costs of BEV-owning households. Results show that BEV adoption significantly increases household electricity consumption, particularly in high-density areas with limited access to home charging. Although public charging often leads to higher operational costs, V2X integration offers partial cost recovery and system-level benefits, such as load balancing. However, battery inefficiencies and electricity pricing schemes remain key barriers to widespread adoption of V2X. The findings underscore the importance of targeted policies—such as infrastructure investment and rate design—to ensure equitable and scalable BEV integration. This research contributes to the growing body of literature by integrating behavioral data, regional utility pricing, and simulation modeling to assess the real-world financial implications of BEV deployment in a major urban market. • Battery electric vehicle (BEV) ownership raises household electricity costs. • Vehicle to everything (V2X) cuts BEV energy costs, but losses and tariffs limit household savings. • Smart Life S rate plan allows BEV owners to fully recover V2X-related electricity costs. • V2X-specific rates and more chargers are key to fair, large-scale BEV integration.