Methods for implementing vehicle charging infrastructure

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining supply requirements for charging a plurality of vehicles are described. Based on real-world data for a plurality of vehicles, operation of comparable battery-powered vehicles is simulated. Energy consumption by the vehicles and energy replenishable to the vehicles is simulated, to determine power supply requirements or charge station requirements for candidate charge sites. Feasibility of implementing battery powered vehicles is assessed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for determining supply requirements for providing energy to a plurality of vehicles at one or more candidate charge sites, the method comprising:
 for each vehicle in the plurality vehicles:
 identifying at least one dwell period of the vehicle; 
 for each identified dwell period of the vehicle, determining a respective dwell location of the vehicle; 
 identifying at least one chargeable-dwell period, by identifying at least one dwell period of the vehicle where a respective dwell location of the vehicle is at a candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites; 
 identifying at least one active period of the vehicle; 
 for each active period of the vehicle, determining energy consumption by the vehicle as a battery-powered vehicle during the at least one active period of the vehicle; and 
 determining energy replenishable to the vehicle during the at least one chargeable-dwell period; and 
   for each candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites:
 determining energy replenishable to vehicles during chargeable-dwell periods in which the respective dwell location of said vehicles is at the candidate charge site; and 
 determining supply requirements for the candidate charge site to provide at least the determined energy replenishable to vehicles during chargeable-dwell periods in which the respective dwell location of said vehicles is at the candidate charge site. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, for each candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites: determining supply requirements for the candidate charge site comprises determining a required power supply at the candidate charge site to provide the determined energy replenishable to vehicles during chargeable-dwell periods with respective dwell locations at the candidate charge site. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, for each candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites: determining supply requirements for the candidate charge site comprises determining a peak power demand at the candidate charge site to provide the determined energy replenishable to vehicles during chargeable-dwell periods with respective dwell locations at the candidate charge site. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, for each candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites: determining supply requirements for the candidate charge site comprises determining a maximum number of vehicles which simultaneously have chargeable-dwell periods with respective dwell locations at the candidate charge site. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles: identifying the at least one dwell period of the vehicle comprises identifying each dwell period of the at least one dwell period as being a respective period of time where the vehicle is stationary. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles: determining a respective dwell location of the vehicle for each identified dwell period of the vehicle comprises identifying the respective location of the vehicle where the vehicle is stationary based on location data received from the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles: identifying the at least one active period of the vehicle comprises identifying each active period of the at least one active period as being a respective period of time where the vehicle is in use. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining a respective location of at least one candidate charge site of the one or more candidate sites, by identifying a location where a plurality of dwell periods for at least a subset of the plurality of vehicles occur. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an indication of a respective location of at least one candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving an indication of a respective location of at least one candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites comprises receiving the respective location as user-provided input. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving an indication of a respective location of at least one candidate charge site of the one or more candidate charge sites comprises receiving the respective location from a network device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles:
 identifying a first candidate charge site by identifying a first dwell location where the vehicle spends more time dwelling than at locations outside the first dwell location.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles:
 identifying a second candidate charge site by identifying a second dwell location where the vehicle spends more time dwelling than at locations outside the second dwell location.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles: identifying whether the energy replenishable to the vehicle compensates for the determined energy consumption by the vehicle as a battery-powered vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles:
 identifying at least one active period of the vehicle and identifying at least one chargeable-dwell period of the vehicle comprise: identifying an activity schedule for the vehicle which includes each chargeable-dwell period and each active period of the vehicle within a time frame; and   identifying whether the energy replenishable to the vehicle compensates for the energy consumption by the vehicle as a battery-powered vehicle comprises: determining whether energy replenishable to the vehicle during each chargeable-dwell period provides sufficient energy for at least one active period of the vehicle between chargeable-dwell periods.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the activity schedule for the vehicle is identified as further including each dwell period which is not a chargeable-dwell period. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising collecting, by a plurality of telematic monitoring devices respectively included in each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, respective telematics data for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, wherein:
 for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles, identifying at least one dwell period of the vehicle, determining a respective dwell location of the vehicle, identifying at least one chargeable-dwell period, identifying at least one active period of the vehicle, determining energy consumption by the vehicle as a battery-powered vehicle, and determining energy replenishable to the vehicle, are based on the respective telematics data collected for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising collecting, by at least one sensor respectively integrated in each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, respective telematics data for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, wherein:
 for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles, identifying at least one dwell period of the vehicle, determining a respective dwell location of the vehicle, identifying at least one chargeable-dwell period, identifying at least one active period of the vehicle, determining energy consumption by the vehicle as a battery-powered vehicle, and determining energy replenishable to the vehicle, are based on the respective telematics data collected for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles, determining energy consumption of the vehicle as a battery-powered vehicle comprises simulating operation of the vehicle as a battery powered vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein for each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles, simulating operation of the vehicle as a battery powered vehicle comprises simulating operation of the vehicle based on real-world operational data collected from the vehicle.