A methodology for economic and environmental analysis of electric vehicles with different operational conditions

A simulation model is proposed in the present study to analyze economic and environmental performance of electric vehicles (EVs) operated under different conditions including electricity generation mix, smart charging control strategies and real-time pricing mechanisms. The model is organized into an input-output framework and actualized using an hour-by-hour computer simulation to achieve a real-time electricity supply-demand balance emphasizing the integrations of EVs. The battery cost, real-time solar and wind power generations, and traditional electricity demand are used as preconditions. The model has been developed as a flexible software package and applied to case studies in the Tokyo area, Japan in 2030 with different combinations of three electricity generation mix options, two charging control strategies and two hourly real-time electricity pricing mechanisms. The fuel costs and CO2 emissions of EVs in different operational environments were obtained and compared, and optimized operational conditions for EVs were suggested from the perspective of economic and environmental benefit. The feasibility of the proposed methodology was thereby demonstrated practically through the case studies.