In the context of the global drive towards sustainability and rapid integration of renewables, electric vehicles, and charging infrastructure, the need arises for advanced operational strategies that support the grid while managing the intermittent nature of these resources. Microgrids emerge as a solution, operating independently or alongside the main grid to facilitate power flow management among interconnected sources and different loads locally. This review paper aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the different control strategies proposed in the literature to control microgrids with electric vehicle charging stations. The surveyed research is primarily categorized according to the employed control algorithms, although distinctions are also made based on defined microgrid architecture, utilization of specific power sources, and charging stations configurations. Additionally, this paper identifies research gaps in the current research. These gaps encompass the use of oversimplified models for charging stations and/or renewable sources operation, limited simulation time periods, or lack of experimental testing of proposed approaches. In the light of these identified shortcomings, this manuscript presents recommendations for guiding future research.

The expected increase in electric vehicles necessitates an expansion in charging stations. However, this increase could introduce issues to the power grid, such as the deterioration of voltage stability and an increase in microgrid loading. To address these issues, innovative solutions are imperative. One potential solution is the implementation of charging control mechanisms. This paper analyzes the impact of a residential charging station on a low voltage microgrid from the power quality point of view using a one-year operation simulation. Thirty-seven charging station scenarios with different locations within the network were examined, including instances with no charging control and various combinations involving charging control, photovoltaic power plant, and battery energy storage system. The simulation results of the charging station without charging control show a decrease in some power quality indicators, such as exceeding voltage change thresholds after charging station connection and increasing power losses. On the contrary, the scenarios implementing charging control and local resources effectively mitigate the adverse effects of charging stations on the microgrid.