Empowering Future Generation Smart Grid Using Electric Vehicles (EV)

Dear Colleauges,

The electric vehicle (EV) promises to be the inevitable transformation of the automotive sector. Its advantages include being emission-free, efficient, and optionally rechargeable. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology enables electric vehicles to communicate with power networks and store extra energy in batteries. The future of V2G technology links its probability with that of the use of electric vehicles. Experts worldwide are skeptical about the feasibility of V2G technology in the future. However, technology is never exactly accepted by everyone at the time of its creation. The future of V2G technology is still bright as V2G technology is developing. The development of smart grid technologies and the production of PEVs (Plug-in Electrical Vehicles) is likely to stimulate it. In recent years, the most relevant technological hurdles affecting EV grid integration have been overcome. Current charging infrastructure and power grids can handle the EV charging process, thus achieving EV-grid integration. However, some of the remaining technical obstacles constitute significant technological barriers, such as those related to the cost of production of EVs, their autonomy, or the efficiency of battery charging. Moreover, car manufacturers present in the EV segment cannot yet develop economies of scale (for vehicles and batteries). EV prices, therefore, remain considerably higher. This factor thus constitutes one of the essential commercial barriers which affect the integration of the EV with the network, in addition to the problems related to the Business Models of the batteries of the EVs, or the ownership of the data and the management of the EV cost infrastructure. Finally, beyond technological, commercial, and organizational barriers, some experts argue that the integration of EVs into the network depends heavily on social factors, such as driver habits, their nervousness at the wheel, etc. Developing a standard for the interoperability of different actors in the value chain and communication technologies and protocols can also ensure the interoperable integration of EVs into the network. Finally, the vertical cooperation of electrical system operators (at different levels) with car manufacturers or horizontal cooperation between other grid operators can contribute to developing an electronic information space to more efficiently and seamlessly manage EV charging processes. Moreover, in addition to the opportunities for cooperation and standardization that can take place in this territory, the development of techniques for optimizing the integration of EVs into the network can redress the constraints to which it is subject. These include, for example, robust programs and algorithms making it possible to locate vehicles better using sensors, or to manage exchanges between vehicles and the network better so that it is profitable for consumers, rather than just for "Utilities", while managing peak electricity demand. Researchers, automakers, and other stakeholders are invited to contribute to a more sustainable power system by optimizing electric vehicles’ energy on the network. Topics relevant to this Special Issue include:

• Pricing optimization for a vehicle-to-building network;
• A micro smart-grid to charge a fleet of electric vehicles;
• Smart grid and mobility: operation, challenges, and prospects of smart grids;
• The electric vehicle, an electricity storage solution;
• Smart grids, towards intelligent electricity consumption;
• Charging management: A challenge in terms of user experience;
• The integration of renewable energies into the electricity network;
• Energy transition: smart grids, an asset at the service of green recovery;
• Technical and non-technical barriers to the installation, operation, and management of charging and refueling technologies;
• Research challenges in intelligent transportation networks;
• Vehicle-to-vehicle communications: readiness of V2V technology for application;
• Vehicular networks for collision avoidance at intersections.

Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Hasan
Dr. Nazmus Shaker Nafi
Guest Editors

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