Siemens eMobility solutions will field test new electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, a Meter Integrated Charger (MIC), in New York.
The MICs can measure the quantity of electricity needed to charge EVs so that drivers, utilities and others can track and manage consumption.
“Currently, for most customers who own EVs, EV energy consumption is mixed in with all other usage in the owner’s electricity bill, making it impossible to identify the energy costs from charging the EV versus the home’s air conditioning or lighting. With the MIC, the power used for the EV will show up separately,” said John DeBoer, head of Siemens eMobility solutions and Future Grid Business in North America. “Siemens is working to promote EV adoption with our full range of charging equipment and solutions, and this could be a game-changer for EV drivers in understanding their fuel savings when they switch to EVs."
Con Edison, the energy company that serves New York City and Westchester County, NY, will recruit up to 20 residential customers with smart meters to participate in the project. Con Edison will collect information on the charging habits of these electric-vehicle owners and share it with Siemens. The project is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
“This project will test technology that can help EV drivers get valuable information on their charging, manage their usage and lower their costs,” said Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud, section manager in Con Edison’s Electric Vehicles group. “The Siemens Meter Integrated Charger could also make it easier for us to encourage drivers to charge at off-peak times, helping us keep our service reliable for the 3.5 million customers who depend on us.”
The Siemens eMobility solution will incorporate the same type of meter socket used on virtually every home with a standard, commercially available EV charging station. The standard utility meter can be used to record the energy usage and the communications in the meter will send the data back to the utility, which can then be shared with the customer. The data can also be used to bill the EV on a separate rate, though discrete billing will not be employed in this demonstration. For example, the EV could be billed on a time-of-use rate to take advantage of low-cost off-peak charging, while the home could remain on flat rates without being exposed to high prices during peak hours when the EV would not be charging.
Siemens expects to deliver and install prototypes early in 2021, with results to be available later that year.
