Siemens eMobility solutions is field-testing a new charging technology called the Meter Integrated Charger (MIC), which provides a way to measure the quantity of electricity used to charge an EV in order to 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 in North America. “This could be a game-changer for EV drivers in understanding their fuel savings when they switch to EVs.”

New York utility Con Edison will recruit up to 20 residential customers with smart meters to participate in the project, and will share information on the charging habits of these EV owners with Siemens.

“This project will test technology that can help EV drivers get valuable information on their charging, manage their usage and lower their costs,” said Con Edison’s Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud. “The Siemens MIC could also make it easier for us to encourage drivers to charge at off-peak times.”

The MIC uses a standard residential meter socket and a standard, commercially available EV charging station. The meter will send energy usage data back to the utility, which can then share it with the customer. The data can be used to bill the EV on a separate time-of-use rate, though discrete billing will not be used in this demonstration.

Siemens expects to deliver and install prototypes of the MIC early in 2021.

Source: Siemens eMobility