Exploring DC Fast Charging Load Profiles: Implications for Utilities, Operators, and Regulators

Explore implications for DCFC sites through our reports:

• Three short topic briefs on:
  • Site Capacity and DCFC Load Model
  • Tariff Design and the Importance of DCFC Load Model
  • Resilience and the Importance of DCFC Load Model
• The executive summary on exploring DC Fast Charging Load Profiles (To read the executive summary, please submit the form)
• The in-depth, full report

By 2030, it is estimated that there will be over 26 million electric vehicles on the road. With that, the need for high-speed public charging will dramatically increase. How can utilities, operators, and regulators better understand the load profiles of charging depots today? How will those profiles change over the next decade as charging capabilities improve?

SEPA modeled load profile configurations of DC fast charging plazas based on actual vehicle charging curves to evaluate how different vehicle charging capabilities impact peak demands, utilization rates, and load factors.

Takeaways include: 

• The peak demand for multi-port charging depots is significantly lower than the maximum nameplate capacity of the station, even at very high levels of utilization.
• Modeling forecasts that do not account for the tapered nature of vehicle charging curves may overestimate the required distribution system infrastructure.
• It will be critical for OEMs and grid planners to be in close coordination on how battery improvements will impact grid loads.
• There are important equity considerations related to vehicle charging speeds that must be considered, especially during emergency evacuation planning.

This industry brief is a collaborative effort driven by Brittany Blair, Garrett Fitzgerald, Weston Dengler, and many more. This project was sponsored by the Coordinating Research Council (CRC). A copy of the full report is available on the CRC’s website. To read the executive summary, please submit the form.

Brittany Blair, Senior Analyst—Research & Industry Strategy, Smart Electric Power Alliance

Garrett Fitzgerald, Senior Director—Electrification, Smart Electric Power Alliance

Weston Dengler, Senior Analyst—Research & Industry Strategy, Smart Electric Power Alliance