Electric vehicle owners in Australia’s colder climates will need to factor in greater electricity use in winter months.
A study which looked at EV usage in New Zealand, also provided insights for the Australian market, with findings showing a large seasonal variation in the energy needed to charge electric vehicles.
Associate Professor Michael Jack, from the University of Otago said the new research showed electric vehicle owners would need to charge cars more in winter than in summer, leading to an increase in the winter electricity peak in New Zealand by 2050.
Associate Professor Jack said researchers investigated the impact both different seasons and regions had on charging EVs and New Zealand’s electricity grid.
He said they found electricity consumption for vehicle charging could vary seasonally by up to 16 percent, and in some New Zealand regions it could increase winter monthly consumption by up to 30 percent by 2050.
“While internal combustion engines use waste heat, electric vehicles require energy from their batteries to heat their passenger cabin and regulate their battery temperature, so it is expected they will need more energy per kilometre in colder weather.
“This seasonal variation in energy for charging electric vehicles, like that caused by space heating, is challenging to address in a future renewable-dominated electricity grid.”
Associate Professor Jack said while a rise in EVs would help reduce future emissions, the additional demand for charging may place pressure on electricity grids by creating peak loads.
He said previous studies had focused on daily variation in charging and ways it could be shifted into off-peak periods, but less on seasonal variation.
