Future Archetypes of EV Charging
Researching and Developing Archetypes for Investable Infrastructure
One of the transformative forces in the 21st century is long-term capital investment that is shaping our economy, society, and environment for decades to come. Focusing on how capital is allocated and the decision-making processes happening to drive innovation, we examined how strategic choice-making through design can influence and shape the opportunity space and anticipate the future by imagining different investment cases. We explored the potential of EV charging from the lenses of sustainability, equity, intelligence, and investments. How they are shaped will play a major role in responding to complex issues like sustainability and equity These infrastructures are at the nexus of multiple systems and the way they are shaped will play a major role in responding to complex issues like sustainability and equity faced worldwide.
Throughout this project, we applied a Research through Design approach to imaging new archetypes that anticipate the future, embracing these complex issues to operate at the intersection of multi-systems, stakeholders, levels, and intelligence.
What is Investable?
Decentralize:
Increasing access across geographical boundaries & socioeconomic statuses
Digitized
Leveraging technology to gather, process, and intelligently act on information.
Decarbonize:
Transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Long-lasting
Be able to generate long-term cash flows and revenue streams.
Barriers
Charging Challenge for EV Users
The lack of charging stations
is a major barrier to EV adoption in the US.
Non-Tesla EV owners struggle
to find compatible charging stations.
Universal adapters are only available with
slower charging speeds.
Charging takes time
Causing stress for users
for users who need their car quickly charge or don't have access to a charging station.
EV charging can take 30 minutes to 12 hours.
Limited overnight charging
if others are using the shared charging station.
Inefficient energy usage
Waste energy during peak demand
Due to the uneven distribution of energy supply and demand
EVs can help balance the grid
by providing storage and returning energy during off-peak hours.
The desired state of the future archetypes
Universal Charging Adaptivity
The ability to support and accommodate different charging adapters, regardless of EV brand or model. This also means working with varying standards of charging and port types to match additional charging requirements.
Intelligent Optimization
Intelligent and connected charging allows customers to communicate with their EVs and optimize the charging process based on factors such as battery capacity, energy demand, and charging rates.
Net Metering
EV owners receive incentives to use renewable sources of energy and for supplying excess energy during peak demands. This mechanism paired with bidirectional charging enables energy exchange service between stakeholders.
Autonomous Operation
Autonomous capabilities embedded in EV charging stations. Networking and communication capabilities to optimize charging, identifying and supplying, mobile capabilities, and reducing space usage.
Bidirectional Energy Flow
EV’s utilizing chargers in this system can either charge normally or supply energy back. When supplying energy, consumers earn credit/cash.
Archetypes
Archetype 1: Mobile EV Charging
Mobile charging concepts are a significant future archetype of EV charging. Many existing parking infrastructures may not allow for traditional fixed chargers or would be costly to retrofit. Mobile charging services can offer a flexible deployment of charging in difficult situations as well as grid storage capability to utilities, in addition to offering a convenience benefit to consumers.
Autonomous Operation
EV charging stations will be equipped with autonomous functionalities that don’t require human intervention. These functions include networking and communication capabilities with EVs to optimize charging by identifying and supplying as per charging standards or norms for an EV, movement capabilities to be mobile, and reduce space use.
Intelligent Optimization
Intelligent and connected charging allows customers to communicate with their EVs and optimize the charging process based on factors such as battery capacity, energy demand, and charging rates.
Universal Charging Adaptor
The ability to support and accommodate different charging adapters, regardless of EV brand or model. This also means working with varying standards of charging and port types to match additional charging requirements.
Scenario 1: Mobile EV Charging
Autonomous Robot
Scenario 2: Mobile EV Charging
Vehicles as EV chargers
Mobile Charging
Partners + Long-Term Cash Flow
Building management organizations and managers of large parking garages may make natural partners for an autonomous mobile charging project. These organizations may be unwilling to spend large sums to install and retrofit fixed charging equipment within their infrastructure. A partnership, or recurring subscription with a mobile charging service would be much more attractive for these organizations.
Archetype 2: Energy Exchange
What if EV drivers could use their vehicles as a way to earn credit for supporting grid stability? The feature of bidirectional charging, currently being implemented by various manufacturers, allows fleets of EV’s connected to the grid to act as a unit of grid storage.
Owners could receive compensation for supplying back to the grid during high demand periods, or charge at home using renewable sources and sell back when connected to the grid at a work parking lot.
A service that partners with a big box store, corporate parking garages, or even airport ground support vehicles to implement these features represents an opportunity for long-term cash flow while supporting a new exchange of decarbonized energy.
Bidirectional Charging / Energy Flow
EV’s utilizing chargers in this system can either charge normally, or supply energy back to the grid using special chargers. For this feature, charging infrastructure is installed in collaboration with the local utility.
Net Metering & Variable Pricing
EV owners receive incentives to use renewable sources of energy, supplying excess energy during peak grid demand. This mechanism paired with bidirectional charging enables energy exchange service between stakeholders.
Intelligent Optimization and Induced Supply + Demand
What if the local utility knows that there will likely be a grid demand emergency later on a particular day? EV’s participating in the net metering program could essentially be called up in advance through mass notifications and increased incentives, inducing thousands of drivers to connect their cars and temporarily increasing the supply of energy.
Scenario: Energy Exchange
Energy Grid Support
Energy Exchange
Partners + Long-Term Cash Flow
This service could exist in partnership with businesses, garages, or airports that already have hundreds of parking spaces and would likely be installing many chargers in the near future.
Large parking lots and garages represent existing infrastructure that has the function of enabling transportation. By adding bidirectional chargers and connections to the grid, they gain the additional function of balancing the grid and providing stability.
A service that installs, operates, and maintains this infrastructure could partner with big box stores or transportation hubs as well as the local utility to operate a long-term contract. In exchange for regular payments, the service could guarantee a certain number of EV customers.
Equity & Ethics
Determining who benefits, and avoiding dark patterns
Computation, intelligence, connection, and data enable powerful new services and relationships but also introduce the potential for dark patterns. Additionally, the benefits of new charging archetypes are not naturally equitable in their distribution— wealthy areas receive the newest innovations first.
Both archetypes can be implemented equitably and responsibly by accounting for different levels of income as well as location when determining rates for charging payments and credits, using publicly available data on geographical income distribution. Additionally, partnered businesses could be an opportunity to provide additional benefits for SNAP (food stamps) users, for example.
Designing with values will be important to avoid the emergence of dark patterns in the interface; for example, making sure potential negative consequences of participating in the bidirectional charging features are communicated clearly.