EV Energy Consumption Patterns and Their Correlation With Renewable Power Generation

Europe’s biggest electric vehicle (EV) market Germany has set ambitious targets to reduce transport sector emissions by more than 40% by 2030. Electric mobility fueled by renewable energy (RE) is crucial to reaching these goals. However, the rapid proliferation of EVs as well as RE will significantly impact the grid. Especially a negative correlation between EV demand and RE would have adverse effects on grid stability, energy prices as well as security of supply. Taking into account above facts, this paper analyses real-world charging behavior regarding energy demand and parking duration at EV charging stations (EVCS) and correlates the EV load with the fluctuating RE in the German electricity grid over three years. Using the data of more than 9700 public EVCS and K-means clustering as well as the Pearson correlation coefficient, this paper shows several key insights. Firstly, public EVCS demand and solar power match well, with both peaks occuring during noon. Secondly, EVCS demand and wind power show little to negative correlation. Thirdly, 80% of EVCS were still occupied less than 4 hours a day in 2022. Finally, DC charging points are not a surefire success. Ultimately, this work can contribute to Germany’s efforts to reduce transport sector emissions and accelerate the energy transition.