Impacts of Charging Choices for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles in 2030 Scenario

This study systematically examined the potential impacts of recharging scenarios for multiple plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the western United States—in particular, the service area of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)—in 2030. The goal of the study was twofold: to examine the impact of scenarios for market penetration and charging of PHEVs on the electric utilities and transmission grid and to estimate the potential reductions in petroleum use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to PHEV miles traveled on primarily grid electricity. Three charging scenarios for PHEVS were examined: (a) begin recharging upon arrival at home at the end of the last daily trip, (b) complete recharging of batteries just before the start of the first daily trip, and (c) any additional charging opportunity during the daytime. The three charging scenarios produced distinct hourly electric load profiles, with the opportunity-charging scenario resulting in a significant increase in load during the daytime. However, when the utility dispatch simulations were run for these charging scenarios in the WECC area, they all exhibited similar marginal-generation mixes (dominated by the natural gas combined-cycle technology) to satisfy the PHEV load, and GHG emissions were within 2% of each other. A well-to-wheel analysis revealed that the marginal-generation mixes produced 40% to 45% lower GHG emissions by PHEVs than did conventional gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles.