Workplace Charging in the Real-World: How Plug-in Electric Vehicle Drivers “Fuel Up”

Advanced Energy released its first quarterly report about data from the Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Consumer Usage Study. Workplace Charging in the Real-World focuses on workplace charging availability and how it can influence PEV driving and charging behavior.

The study began in January 2012 through a partnership with Nissan. It took an in-depth look at driving and charging trends of 40 all-electric vehicle drivers in the Research Triangle area. Its goals were to document and evaluate general characteristics and usage for the PEV market; identify potential barriers to widespread adoption of PEVs and charging infrastructure; and assess the impact of other factors on consumer behavior, such as changes in infrastructure availability, duration of vehicle ownership and variation in seasonal temperature.

“Data retrieved from our PEV Usage Study indicated that, where available, employees are utilizing workplace charging and are initiating charging sessions in the early part of the day (6 a.m. to 9 a.m.) as they begin to arrive at work,” said Lisa Poger, Advanced Energy’s transportation program manager.

Although workplace charging may not be essential for employee commutes to and from home, it allows variability in travel patterns and can help alleviate range anxiety for new adopters of PEVs.

John Davis, a Biogen employee, noted, “The availability of workplace charging played heavily into my decision to purchase an electric vehicle. I have the flexibility to come to work, run multiple errands during the day, and still have enough charge to return home.”

Many companies in North Carolina offer workplace charging, and the information from the study will be useful for facility managers considering installing charging stations. It will also aid in the understanding of vehicle demand profiles that may impact local grid reliability and power consumption during peak demand times.

The second report on the PEV Usage Study focused on home charging behaviors and was released in September 2013.

Advanced Energy was the first North Carolina Ambassador to support the U.S. Department of Energy’s EV Everywhere Workplace Charging Challenge, which ran from 2013 o 2017.