As EVs proliferate, smart charging, in which vehicles, charging stations and the grid are able to communicate with each other in real time, will be necessary, in order to avoid overloading local grids and to smoothly integrate EV charging with renewable energy sources.

A new pilot project at the University of California, San Diego uses a new type of charging station supplied by German electric utility RWE. The RWE chargers are the first to be certified for a new global standard, ISO 15118, which will be implemented in 2017.

The new standard addresses the vehicle-to-grid communication interface, with the aim of creating a coherent system that integrates EVs with the power grid. It can also support authentication, billing, remote diagnostics and other features.

24 RWE Level 2 chargers and 3 DC fast chargers have been installed on the UC San Diego campus, joining the university’s existing 29 chargers. As part of the pilot, UC students, faculty and staff will be offered leases on smart ED coupes that have been built to be fully compatible with ISO 15118.

“With this new standard, the charging stations recognize when electricity is available and use it for charging,” said Norbert Verweyen, Managing Director of RWE. “If the energy is needed elsewhere, the charging process is interrupted.”

SEE ALSO: SoCal Edison deploys workplace charging with smart grid demand response

Sources: RWE, University of California, San Diego