Electrification of mobility is paving the way in decreasing emissions from the transport sector; nevertheless, to achieve a more sustainable and inclusive transport system, effective and long-term planning of electric vehicles charging infrastructure will be crucial. Developing an infrastructure that supports the substitution of the internal combustion engine and societal needs is no easy feat; different modes of transport and networks require specific analyses to match the requirements of the users and the capabilities of the power grid. In order to outline best practices and guidelines for a cost-effective and holistic charging infrastructure planning process, the authors have evaluated all the aspects and factors along the charging infrastructure planning cycle, analysing different methodological approaches from scientific literature over the last few years. The review starts with target identification (including transport networks, modes of transport, charging technologies implemented, and candidate sites), second, the data acquisition process (detailing data types sources and data processing), and finally, modelling, allocation, and sizing methodologies. The investigation results in a decision support tool to plan high-power charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, taking into account the interests of all the stakeholders involved in the infrastructure investment and the mobility value chain (distributed system operators, final users, and service providers).

This paper analyzes the switching performance of the full SiC half-bridge power module BSM120D12P2C005 from Rohm Semiconductor. It investigates if the combination of a DC snubber and a turn-off snubber helps to reduce sufficiently the electrical stresses on hard-switching power modules. Simulations in LTspice IV and laboratory experiments give the basis for the analysis. Standard double-pulse tests of the module are conducted at different drain currents. This makes it possible to analyze the switching characteristics and the total switching losses of the SiC module. Simulations in LTspice are used in order to investigate if the use of suitable snubber circuits improves the switching transients. The performance of these snubbers is tested and verified through laboratory experiments. It is shown in both simulations and laboratory experiments that a simple and well-known DC snubber circuit for half-bridge configurations attenuates ringing without reducing the voltage overshoot. In order to suppress this extensive voltage overshoot to an acceptable level during device turn off, a turn-off snubber must be added to the circuit. It is found that this solution does not increase the switching losses significantly.

Modern society is to a larger and larger extent dependant on electric energy, and hence the reliance on and utilization of the electric grid is increasing steadily. At the same time the production and consumption patterns are changing from large centralized generation of electric power and pure consumers to distributed generation (DG) and more complex consumers. This transition causes higher stress on an aging infrastructure and major investments are required over the coming years to maintain a reliable supply of electric energy. Better monitoring solutions and predictive methods can increase the possible utilization of the existing grid and reduce the fault frequency. This paper presents some current challenges in the grid and a possible monitoring solution and fault prediction method. This is exemplified with statistics and field-measurements from the Norwegian power grid.

This paper gathers experiences and results from several demonstration projects in the field of grid integration of electric vehicles. The analyzed research projects are selected among research institutes and universities that are part of the European Energy Research Alliance Joint Program on Smart Grids. The paper provides an overview of recent trends in the field of electric vehicles integration issues and then dives deeper into specific aspects of each project. Twelve research projects are presented in general terms, while detailed information can be retrieved from the references and the websites. Although each project has its focus, a common element that can be devised is that the charging process can be technically controlled based on different interests and algorithms, but its role in the market is still under development. Particular focus is always given to the behavior of the user, which ultimately determines the possible level of flexibility that the electric vehicle can provide to the grid.

Full electrification of the transport sector is a necessity to combat climate change and a pressing societal issue: climate agreements require a fuel shift of all the modes of transport, but while uptake of passenger electric vehicles is increasing, long haul trucks rely almost completely on fossil fuels. Providing highways with proper charging infrastructure for future electric mobility demand is a problem that is not fully investigated in literature: in fact, previous work has not addressed grid planning and infrastructure design for both passenger vehicles and trucks on highways. In this work, the authors develop a methodology to design the electrical infrastructure that supplies static and dynamic charging for both modes of transport. An algorithm is developed that selects substations for the partial electrification of a highway and, finally, the design of the electrical infrastructure to be implemented is produced and described, assessing conductors and substations sizing, in order to respect voltage regulations. The system topology of a real highway (E18 in Norway) and its traffic demand is analyzed, together with medium-voltage substations present in the area.