From left to right: Tim Curtis, President of Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro; Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Energy; and Prateek Saxena, Director of Tech Mahindra
An intelligent electric vehicle charging system (IEVCS) might be able to spur more consumer interest in electric vehicles.
That’s the thinking behind Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro (NOTL) and Tech Mahindra Ltd. who have announced a partnership to build an IEVCS.
The two year project that’s being backed by the Ontario Ministry of Energy and partly funded through the Ontario Smart Grid Fund Initiative will monitor the effects of EV charging on the transformers.
Fifteen Niagara-on-the-Lake families will be invited to participate in the pilot and will be provided with an electric vehicle for four months, said NOTL Hydro.
The company added the Tech Mahindra solution will be able to automatically manage the charging between vehicles to ensure the transformers do not overload from EV charging.
“The potential load impact of electric vehicle charging on transformers is something that needs to be taken into consideration by local distribution companies, said Tim Curtis, President of NOTL Hydro, in a written release. “This innovative project will provide an alternative to expensive upgrades to our distribution system as Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro customers contemplate switching to electric vehicles,” he added.
“Ontario is committed to supporting leading-edge smart grid projects in the province that create jobs and secure Ontario’s position as a North American leader in emerging energy technologies,” said Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Energy.
