Electric Mobility Roaming for Extending Range Limitations

Electric vehicles (EVs) are currently promoted by government and industry as an alternative to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) propelled vehicles. However, e-mobility has not yet reached a level of technological maturity that allows for the same degree of mobility offered by ICE propelled vehicles. In this paper, we argue that the adaption of roaming concepts to enable EV charging across geographical and service provider boundaries is likely to be a crucial element for e-mobility to be successful. To that end, we derive requirements and design principles for roaming concepts in e-mobility. Furthermore, we present and briefly evaluate a prototype implementation of an e-mobility roaming platform as a proof-of-concept

Monenpuoleisen alustan kehitys: strategioita sähköautojen latausverkostoille

Multi-sided platform is an attractive business model for organizations that can create value by mediating transactions of two or more sides willing to interact with each other. Electric vehicle (EV) charging networks enable interactions of EV users and charging point owners (CPO), and thus, they can be observed as multi-sided platforms. This thesis aims at, first, understanding the competitive platform dynamics that characterize EV charging industry, and second, finding suitable multi-sided platform strategies and future development pathways for EV charging networks. A qualitative interview study was conducted to study the European EV charging market. The empirical data was collected with 17 semi-structured cross-sectional interviews from different stakeholders in the charging industry. Thematic analysis was used to discover patterns in the data and thereafter the results were analyzed in relation to previous body of knowledge on multi-sided platforms and EV charging networks. The results show that strong but local network effects, low preference for variety and low multihoming costs for EV users characterize the competition of multi-sided EV charging platforms. However, the industry is fragmented to multiple other business models that consist of market roles of electro-mobility service provider (EMSP), charging service operator (CSO) and CPO. Thus, no conclusive results of the competitive environment can be confirmed purely based on platform dynamics. Strategywise, the results suggest designing pricing symmetry and governance of a multi-sided EV charging platform such that growth and quality of the interactions on the platform are supported. Additionally, decision to enable interoperability (roaming) between charging networks is an important strategic choice that depends on the business model, size and strategic ambitions of the network. For theoretical contributions, the thesis clarifies the distinction between market roles and business models in EV charging and provides a new conceptualization of roaming in EV charging networks. Furthermore, the study extends the research of multi-sided platforms to the context of EV charging networks and provides researchers and managers a snapshot of opportunities and future pathways of a rapidly evolving industry.Monenpuoleinen alusta on houkutteleva liiketoimintamalli organisaatioille, jotka luovat arvoa toimimalla välittäjänä kahden tai useamman osapuolen vuorovaikutuksessa. Sähköautojen latausverkostot mahdollistavat sähköautoilijoiden ja latauspisteiden omistajien välisen vuorovaikutuksen, joten niitä voidaan tarkastella monenpuoleisina alustoina. Tämän diplomityön tavoitteena on (1) ymmärtää alustataloudellisia kilpailudynamiikoita, jotka vaikuttavat sähköautojen lataustoimialaan, ja (2) löytää sähköautojen latausverkostoille soveltuvia monenpuoleisen alustan strategioita sekä tulevaisuuden kehityssuuntia. Työ toteutettiin laadullisena haastattelututkimuksena ja sen tarkoituksena oli tutkia Eurooppalaista sähköautojen latausmarkkinaa. Empiirinen data kerättiin 17 puoliavoimella haastattelulla, jotka tavoittivat poikkileikkaavasti toimialan eri osapuolia. Data analysoitiin temaattisen analyysin menetelmällä, minkä jälkeen sitä verrattiin olemassa olevaan kirjallisuuteen monenpuoleisista alustoista ja sähköautojen latauksesta. Tulokset osoittavat, että vahvat mutta paikalliset verkostovaikutukset, vähäinen tarve monipuolisille palveluille ja matalat monikotisuuden kustannukset sähköautoilijoille määrittävät monenpuoleisten sähköautojen latausalustojen välistä kilpailua. Toimiala on kuitenkin pirstoutunut moniin muunlaisiin liiketoimintamalleihin, jotka koostuvat latauspalvelutarjoajan, latausoperaattorin ja latauspisteen omistajan markkinaroolien yhdistelmistä. Tästä johtuen pelkkään alustataloudelliseen dynamiikkaan perustuvaa päätelmää alan kilpailutilanteesta ei voida tehdä. Strategioiden osalta työn tulokset suosittavat monenpuoleisen alustan hallinnan ja hinnoittelun symmetrian suunnittelemista niin, että ne tukevat alustalla tapahtuvien vuorovaikutusten laatua ja määrän kasvua. Lisäksi työssä havaitaan, että latausverkostojen välisen yhteentoimivuuden (engl. roaming) avaaminen on tärkeä strateginen päätös, joka riippuu verkoston liiketoimintamallista, koosta ja strategisista tavoitteista. Tämä työ täydentää aiempia tutkimuksia selkeyttämällä eroa lataustoimialan markkinaroolien ja liiketoimintamallien välillä. Lisäksi työ ehdottaa uutta käsitteellistä määritelmää latausverkostojen yhteentoimivuudelle. Diplomityö laajentaa myös monenpuoleisten alustojen tutkimusta uuteen kontekstiin -- sähköautojen latausverkostoihin, ja tarjoaa tutkijoille ja alan yrityksille tuokiokuvan nopeasti kehittyvän toimialan mahdollisuuksista ja tulevaisuudennäkymistä

With or Without Blockchain? Towards a Decentralized, SSI-based eRoaming Architecture

Fragmentation and limited accessibility of charging infrastructure impede the adoption of electric vehicles. To improve the availability of charging infrastructure independent of providers, eRoaming offers a promising solution. Yet, current eRoaming systems are typically centralized, which raises concerns of market power concentration. While the use of blockchain technology can obviate such concerns, it comes with significant privacy challenges. To address these challenges, we explore a combination of blockchain with self-sovereign identity. Specifically, we apply a design science research approach, which helps us to identify requirements, derive a conceptual architecture, and deduce design principles for decentralized eRoaming and beyond. We find that blockchain may best leverage its benefits when it takes a backseat as a public registry for legal entities. Moreover, we find that the use of self-sovereign identities could improve compliance with privacy regulations, but they should not be overused

Mobility in Lisbon based on smartphone data

This research covers five months (September, October, November, December 2021, and January 2022) of georeferenced data of the Vodafone mobile phone service, provided by the municipality of Lisbon (CML). The motivation of this research regards the fact that the urban mobility study with mobile phone data is a relatively unexplored topic. This study focused on the city of Lisbon, with a case study conducted in the parish of Santa Maria Maior with the aim to understand the urban mobility patterns of mobile phone users. The number of roaming and non-roaming devices in the case study is related to the subject of a vibrant neighborhood and tourism, characterized by transportation and historical points of interest. We used a data mining approach to analyze mobility trends, adopting a CRISP-DM methodology, to perform statistical analysis, visualization, and clustering (DBSCAN) methods. Results showed eight clusters in Santa Maria Maior, with outstanding clusters along 28-E electric tram and Lisbon Cruise Terminal. Foremost, we looked at these two clusters and performed a forecast model with Prophet, resulting in downward trend, influenced by the pandemic restrictions in December and January data. This thesis contributes considerably to the digital transformation of Lisbon into a smart city by understanding urban mobility patterns with smartphone data of no roaming and roaming users.Este estudo abrange cinco meses (setembro, outubro, novembro, dezembro de 2021 e janeiro de 2022) de dados georreferenciados do serviço da operadora móvel Vodafone, fornecido pela Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (CML). A motivação da tese considera o facto de o estudo da mobilidade urbana com dados de telemóveis ser um tópico relativamente inexplorado. Este estudo centrou-se na cidade de Lisboa, com um caso de estudo na freguesia de Santa Maria Maior com o objetivo de compreender os padrões de mobilidade urbana dos utilizadores da rede móvel. O número de dispositivos de nãoroaming e roaming no caso de estudo está relacionado com o tema das ‘vibrant neighborhoods’ e turismo, caracterizado por pontos de interesse históricos e de transportes. Utilizámos uma abordagem de ‘data mining’ para analisar as tendências de mobilidade, adotando uma metodologia CRISP-DM, para realizar análise estatística, visualização e agrupamentos (DBSCAN). Os resultados mostraram nove agrupamentos em Santa Maria Maior, dos quais dois agrupamentos de destaque, um ao longo do elétrico 28-E e outro à volta do Terminal de Cruzeiros de Lisboa. Em primeiro lugar, analisámos estes dois agrupamentos e realizámos análises de previsão, resultando numa tendência decrescente, como consequência das restrições da pandemia nos meses de dezembro e janeiro. Esta tese contribui consideravelmente para a transformação digital de Lisboa numa cidade inteligente, ao compreender os padrões de mobilidade urbana com dados dos utilizadores da rede móvel em não-roaming e roaming

Cross-border Mobility for Electric Vehicles: Selected results from one of the first cross-border field tests in Europe

This book provides selected results from the accompanying research of the project CROME. The vision of the project was to create and test a safe, seamless, user-friendly and reliable mobility with electric vehicles between France and Germany as a prefiguration of a pan-European electric mobility system. Major aims were contributions to the European standardisation process of charging infrastructure for electric mobility and corresponding services, and to provide an early customer feedback

Charged Less, Paid More - Non-optimal Tariff Choice Decisions in the Electric Vehicle Services Market

Electric vehicle users need to subscribe to an Electric Mobility Platform Service provider to gain access to public charging networks. Consequently, consumers need to form beliefs about their future demand for the (charging) service in order to choose a tariff that maximizes their surplus. Using a unique dataset from a large Western European Electric Mobility Platform Service provider, we show that a significant share of customers conducts systematic tariff-choice errors. We find that customers of two-part tariffs are more likely to choose a non-optimal tariff than customers of a pay-per-use tariff. Additionally, the likelihood of a non-optimal pay-per-use tariff choice depends on the user’s type of plug-in electric vehicle. We explain the non-optimal tariff choices by cognitive biases related to reference dependence and overconfidence. We further outline our next steps to better understand non-optimal choice behavior in the electric vehicle services market and provide implications for managers and policymakers

Methodology for an optimal deployment of the recharging infrastructure for electric vehicles

184 p.CO2 emissions must be reduced to meet the international commitments to tackle climate change. One of the most promising alternatives for such reduction is the electrification of transport, especially in urban environments, due to its advantages in terms of lack of local emissions and noise reduction. Yet, the lack of publicly accessible charging infrastructure is preventing the mass-adoption of electro-mobility. EV customers want to see a dense enough publicly accessible charging infrastructure network, but they will seldom use it if they can use private home charging. Hence, the economic feasibility of deploying such charging infrastructure must be carefully assessed. Although there have been several attempts to assess the economic performance of operating publicly accessible charging infrastructure, none of them if able to handle the complexity of electro-mobility (by e.g. merging all different charging alternatives into the same analysis). This thesis aims at filling the identified gap, by defining a new methodology which looks at the whole value chain, is business-oriented, performs a quantitative analysis, compares EV against ICE vehicles and takes into account the relationships between the different charging alternatives into a single assessment. The three main contributions of the thesis are: 1) The new methodology extends the scope for analysing complex business cases to consider the different dimensions of the business case at the same time, 2) This new methodology highlights the crucial need to involve appropriate representatives of the relevant stakeholders (decision-makers) in the analysis from the very beginning of the process, and 3) The new methodology has an oriented, tailored approach from the early stages of the analysis to obtain significant results which increase the reliability of the outcomes and guide the decision-making process

HOW COMPETITIVE IS PHOTOVOLTAIC ELECTRICITY

Over the last decade prices for residential grid-connected PV systems have decreased by 50 to 80% depeding on the local market conditions. Electricity production from residential photovoltaic solar systems has shown that it can be cheaper as residential electricity prices in a growing number of countries, depending on the actual electricity price and the local solar radiation level. The article shows how the financing costs for a PV system and the actual electricity price determine the economics of a unsubsidised PV system.JRC.F.7-Renewable Energ