Decentralized Charging Control of Electric Vehicles
Globally, the number of electric vehicles increased to about eleven million in 2021; by 2030, this number is predicted to surge to 116 million. That means, more deployment of charging stations across the world - while the electric vehicle charging station industry is accelerating rapidly, the core reason is the presence of “decentralization” in the market.
Let’s start with the basics: What is Decentralization?
Decentralisation is a type of organisational structure characterised by the transfer of authority from the highest level of management to the middle and lower levels of management.
In this sort of organisational structure, the responsibility for daily operations and minor decision-making is delegated to the middle and lower levels, allowing upper-level management to concentrate more on big decisions such as corporate expansion, diversification, etc.
Delegation is when a superior assigns a piece of labour and the corresponding responsibilities to a subordinate. When delegation is expanded at the organisational level, this is known as decentralisation.
EV Charging Stations & Decentralization
EV Charging stations are among the decentralised businesses. Because it is impossible for a single individual to focus on more than 100 stations with international branches. When an individual owns a firm, he prioritises the use of decentralised structures that give local managers and assistants the authority to make choices on the spot about clients' problems, complaints, and needs.
Decentralisation has additional benefits, such as reducing the pressure on top executives, facilitating diversification, facilitating executive development, and promoting greater control and oversight. It also has some downsides, such as people not adhering to standard policies and, in some situations, coordination issues.
When discussing "decentralised" distributed systems, several projects or standards already exist within the industry to address this issue. Few among them include
- OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol): A protocol defining the provisioning and management of charging infrastructure.
- OCPI (Open Charge Point Interface): An exchange mechanism between charging ecosystem players.
- Plug&Charge: This standard enables the exchange of information between the charging station and the EV, allowing the charging session to begin automatically upon plugging in the cable, without the need for human intervention.
Future: A burgeoning EV Charging Market
In the next five years, the market for EV charging stations is anticipated to increase by a factor of 5 to 7. It was estimated at $5 billion in 2020, and optimistic projections indicate it could reach $35 billion by 2026, which would make EVs 15% of all car sales worldwide within the next five years.
Taking a look into the future, we will observe significant advancements in charging technologies. For instance, it will resemble the refuelling procedure. In the coming years, the charging voltage for electric vehicles will increase from 500V to 800V, and the capacity of a single charger will increase from 60kW to 350kW. In actuality, charging time will be reduced from around one hour to 10 to 15 minutes.
While, the Internet of Things (IoT) revolutionises EV charging. It will intelligently connect grids, networks, renewable energy, batteries, and vehicles to maximise resource use and enhance the charging experience.
The demand for electric vehicles and buses will rapidly expand. Large corporations like Amazon and Walmart wish to be viewed as environmentally conscious. Their present strategy includes the implementation of zero-emission commercial vehicles. For this reason, EV charging companies would need to develop megachargers to enable the long-distance operation of these massive electric vehicles.
Public EV chargers will continue to climb by double-digit percentages annually. In terms of growth rate and future prospects, this industry is among the most promising. Currently, the majority of EV drivers charge their vehicles at home or at work using predominantly sluggish chargers. In the coming years, there will be a significant increase in demand for fast and ultra-fast public chargers, aided by the convenience of shorter charging times at reduced costs.
