Chartwell says it has launched the Electric Vehicles Research Council, which the information provider says will help utilities launch and improve their electric-vehicle programs as they learn more about customer attitudes and preferences.
According to the company, the council will cover issues such as partnerships between utilities and charging-station companies, incentives for customers to charge their plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) during off-peak times, vehicle-to-grid technologies, rate designs and dynamic-pricing programs, infrastructure monitoring, the development of load profiles, and battery storage.
‘Though it will be many years before PEVs make up a significant percentage of total vehicles on the road, electric utilities now need to look at pricing programs, prepare the emerging smart grid for PEV charging infrastructure, and understand consumer preferences around electric vehicles and the utility's role in the market,’ says Chartwell research analyst Darren Epps.
