Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities
Abstract Electric vehicles are pivotal for global climate solutions, particularly in emerging markets like Africa. Despite the continent’s clean energy potential, electric vehicle adoption faces unique challenges due to inefficiencies and reliability issues of distribution power grids. Here, we anal...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75039-3 |
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| author | June Lukuyu Rebekah Shirley Jay Taneja |
| author_facet | June Lukuyu Rebekah Shirley Jay Taneja |
| author_sort | June Lukuyu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Electric vehicles are pivotal for global climate solutions, particularly in emerging markets like Africa. Despite the continent’s clean energy potential, electric vehicle adoption faces unique challenges due to inefficiencies and reliability issues of distribution power grids. Here, we analyze the impacts of expanding electric vehicle fleets—private, commercial, and paratransit—on Nairobi’s power grid. We simulate traffic patterns, charging behaviors, and transformer utilization using local mobility data. Our results show that while electric commercial and paratransit fleets may improve power system efficiency, widespread private EV adoption could significantly strain the grid, increasing peak loads and transformer aging. Smart charging strategies could mitigate these issues, reducing potential transformer replacement costs by up to 40%. Our study highlights the importance of tailored demand management and infrastructure planning to support EV growth in African cities, providing critical insights for policymakers, utilities, and transport planners to facilitate sustainable electric mobility transitions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1fc66afa9ff444188971fa44617dedd4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-1fc66afa9ff444188971fa44617dedd42025-08-20T02:17:34ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-10-0114111510.1038/s41598-024-75039-3Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African citiesJune Lukuyu0Rebekah Shirley1Jay Taneja2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of WashingtonWorld Resources Institute - AfricaCollege of Information and Computer Sciences, University of Massachusetts AmherstAbstract Electric vehicles are pivotal for global climate solutions, particularly in emerging markets like Africa. Despite the continent’s clean energy potential, electric vehicle adoption faces unique challenges due to inefficiencies and reliability issues of distribution power grids. Here, we analyze the impacts of expanding electric vehicle fleets—private, commercial, and paratransit—on Nairobi’s power grid. We simulate traffic patterns, charging behaviors, and transformer utilization using local mobility data. Our results show that while electric commercial and paratransit fleets may improve power system efficiency, widespread private EV adoption could significantly strain the grid, increasing peak loads and transformer aging. Smart charging strategies could mitigate these issues, reducing potential transformer replacement costs by up to 40%. Our study highlights the importance of tailored demand management and infrastructure planning to support EV growth in African cities, providing critical insights for policymakers, utilities, and transport planners to facilitate sustainable electric mobility transitions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75039-3Electric vehicleNairobiDemand managementDistribution grid |
| spellingShingle | June Lukuyu Rebekah Shirley Jay Taneja Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities Scientific Reports Electric vehicle Nairobi Demand management Distribution grid |
| title | Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities |
| title_full | Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities |
| title_fullStr | Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities |
| title_short | Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities |
| title_sort | managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in african cities |
| topic | Electric vehicle Nairobi Demand management Distribution grid |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75039-3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT junelukuyu managinggridimpactsfromincreasedelectricvehicleadoptioninafricancities AT rebekahshirley managinggridimpactsfromincreasedelectricvehicleadoptioninafricancities AT jaytaneja managinggridimpactsfromincreasedelectricvehicleadoptioninafricancities |