Power and Energy Implications for Electrification of the UW Transportation Vehicle Fleet

Abstract

As climate change and greenhouse gas emissions become an increasing concern, there is a push for phasing out traditional combustion engine vehicles and replacing them with electric vehicles. The University of Washington has ambitious carbon emissions reduction plans including electrification of the UW Transportation vehicle fleet of over 500 vehicles. To successfully accommodate an electrified fleet with minimal cost implications and infrastructure upgrades, UW Transportation must deploy charge management and charge scheduling techniques to minimize energy, power, and charger requirements for the fleet. This thesis analyzes several strategies for when and where to charge electric vehicles in the UW Transportation fleet. As a result, charging every fleet vehicle every weekday and splitting charging between weekdays and weekends are the best options. The approach used in this analysis can be expanded to apply to other fleets using the UW Transportation fleet as a case study.