How AI Transforms EV Charging Networks

An effective network of EV charging stations is essential for widespread electric vehicle adoption, but these stations are often unreliable. AI could help with power distribution, smart load management, predictive maintenance, and more to help improve EV charging infrastructure.

SwissCognitive Guest Blogger: Zachary Amos – “How AI Transforms EV Charging Networks”

People who drive gas-powered vehicles can lug a fuel can around if they ever run out while driving. For electric vehicle (EV) owners, it isn’t as easy. Many fear being stranded on the side of the road, which is why charging infrastructure is so important. However, chargers are often unreliable or outright out of order. Is artificial intelligence the solution?

Why EV Charging Networks Need an Overhaul

The current state of EV charging networks is less than ideal. Harvard Business School research revealed that charging stations are largely unreliable — and drivers are aware and dissatisfied. They can only successfully recharge using nonresidential stations an estimated 78% of the time, meaning one in five chargers in the United States don’t work. This makes them less reliable than the average gas pump.

Omar Asensio — the Harvard Business School fellow who led the study — said the main reason for this substandard reliability is that no one’s maintaining the stations. While these complex machines require extensive maintenance to keep the circuitry in peak shape, they are often neglected.

When electrical systems break down, equipment damage is not the only outcome. Potentially dangerous situations will occur unless companies perform electrical system maintenance regularly. Loose connections and fried circuits can ignite materials or shock users, causing injuries or death.

While the seemingly obvious solution is for drivers to recharge at home, people use home chargers just 10% of the time, according to one software company. Although modern batteries can reach hundreds of miles on a single charge, many people fear theirs will run out of power before they reach their destination, leaving them stranded. Besides, installation can be expensive, depending on their location and the type of at-home station they choose.

Companies Could Change EV Charging With AI

AI could help companies resolve the sector’s current charging challenges. For starters, it could autonomously manage loads, distributing power efficiently and safely among multiple stations. Reducing grid load — especially during peak hours — helps prevent EV charging equipment from damaging transmission lines, circuit breakers or transformers.

A study from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute proves this point. It states that large-scale, unmanaged EV charging could cause sudden current draw fluctuations, damaging the electrical grid. This inconsistency can lead to inefficient energy consumption, resulting in transformer strain. An outage is the likely outcome of accelerated equipment wear and energy waste.

Much of the U.S. power grid is already on its last legs. For instance, around 70% of the transmission lines are nearly three decades old, nearing their expected life span of 50 to 80 years. Minimizing strain with AI-powered smart load management can prevent outages while ensuring every battery is fully recharged.

A more comprehensive solution leverages predictive maintenance. Machine learning models can anticipate possible outcomes. They can use embedded, internet-enabled sensors to identify faults like a fried circuit or frayed wire. Maintenance teams would get real-time alerts, minimizing unplanned downtime.

AI could even improve battery health monitoring, maximizing charging efficiency. A research team from the United Kingdom’s Cambridge and Newcastle Universities discovered a machine learning method is 10 times more accurate than the current industry standard technique. It measures electrical pulses instead of tracking current and voltage during charge and discharge cycles. Improving EV battery reliability could transform the charging network’s layout.

Where would companies place new stations? With AI, they could analyze metrics like EV demand, travel frequency and location to determine where to build them. They could also optimize charging network design by plugging their budget, desired density and grid capacity into the algorithm.

Improving EV Charging Infrastructure With AI

Access to a reliable charging network is tightly intertwined with people’s opinions of EVs themselves — meaning companies can only make this mode of transportation more popular if they improve the reliability of the underlying infrastructure. AI is one of the few technologies that could help them fast-track this achievement.

About the Author:

Zachary Amos is the Features Editor at ReHack, where he writes about artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other technology-related topics.