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Overview: This article overviews communication technologies in smart grid infrastructure, focusing on electric vehicle charging protocols and standards. CatalogSmart Charging SystemCommunication Technologies in Smart Grid InfrastructureSummarizing with Key Points Smart Charging SystemTo develop a power distribution network that is both more effective and more environmentally friendly, the possibility of combining electric vehicles with smart grid technologies plays a significant role. A component of smart grids known as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) enables electric vehicles to not only receive power from the grid but also feed excess energy back into it when they have it available. The convergence of electric vehicles and smart grids has the potential to revolutionize the energy business while simultaneously lowering carbon emissions.Fig. 1 . Overall charging system for battery electric vehicles using wired/wireless charging technologies. Image used courtesy of IEEE Access Communication Technologies in Smart Grid InfrastructureEV charging protocols and standardsFig. 1 shows how the system for charging battery electric vehicles with wired and wireless charging works. The smart charging system connects with the entire system and gives the vehicles the best possible charge. A few common protocols are needed to establish proper communication between the entities. Tables 1 and 2 compare and identify some common communication protocols. Table 1: Wired communication technologies in the smart grid Source: IET Renewable Power Generation FamilyStandardData RateCoveragePLCNB-PLC: ISO/IEC 14908–3 (Lon- Works) ISO/IEC 14543–3-5 (KNX), CEA-600.31 (CEBus) BB-PLC: TIA-1113 (Home Plug 1.0), IEEE 1901, ITU-T G.hn (G.9960/ G.9961)NB-PLC: 1–10 Kbps for low data rate, 10–500 Kbps for high data-rate  BB-PLC: 1–10 Mbps (up to 200 Mbps on very short distances)NB-PLC: 150 km or more    BB-PLC: 1.5 kmOptical FibreIEEE 802.3ah ITU-T G.983 (BPON) IEEE 802.3ah (EPON)100 Mbps 155,–622 Mbps 1 Gbpsup to 10 km up to 20–60 km 10–20 kmDSLITU G.992.1 (ADSL) ITU G.992.5 (ADSL2+) ITU G.993.1 (VDSL)1.3–Mbps 3.3–24 Mbps 52–85 MbpsUp to 4 km Up to 7 km Up to 1.2 km Table 2: Wireless communication technologies in the smart grid Source: IET Renewable Power Generation FamilyStandardData RateCoverageWi-FiIEEE 802.11e (QoS enhancements) IEEE 802.11n (ultra-high network throughput)BIEEE 802.11s (mesh networking) IIEEE 802.11p (WAVE: wireless access in vehicular environments) Up to 54 Mbps  Up to 600 Mbps 300 m (outdoors)  Up to 1 kmWiMaxIEEE 802.16 (fixed and mobile broadband wireless access)IEEE 802.16 m (advanced air interface)128 Mbps down and 28 Mbps up 100 Mbps for mobile users, 1 Gbps for fixed usersUp to 10 km 0–5 (optimum), 5–30 (acceptable), 30–100 (reduced) km3G / 4GI3G: UMTS (HSPA, HSPA+)   4G: LTE, LTE-AdvancedHSPA: 14.4 Mbps down and 5.75 Mbps up HSPA+: 84 Mbps down and 22 Mbps upLTE: 326 Mbps down and 86 Mbps up LTE-Advanced: 1 Gbps down and 500 Mbps up0–5 km   LTE-Advanced: 0–5 (optimum), 5–30 (acceptable), 30–100 (reduced) kmSatelliteLEO: Iridium, Global Star  MEO: New ICO  GEO: Inmarsat, BGAN, Swift, MPDS2.4 to 28 Kbps  9.6 up to 128 Kbps  384 up to 450 KbpsDepend on the number of satellites and their beams.Depend on the number of satellites and their beams.Depend on the number of satellites and their beams.Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) This application-based protocol implements the communication infrastructure between the charging station and the centrally distributed management system. The application protocol is freely accessible. A vendor-oriented protocol was created by the Open Charge Alliance. Due to the quick access to information that electric vehicle drivers provide, it offers more versatility.  The primary characteristics that this particular system is equipped with include transaction management, security, smart charging, message display, and the generation of warnings in the event of a malfunction. A bidirectional international communication standard is ISO 15118. It is employed as a channel of information exchange between electric vehicles and the infrastructure. Additionally, it is utilized for vehicle-to-grid mode communication.  It needs a standardized platform that can deliver and manage the protocol and its services to implement the protocol. The Driivz platform, an open charge point protocol, is one such platform. It supports the OCPI, OCHP, open intercharge protocol (OICP), and open automated DR protocol (OADR). The Driivz platform also supports ISO 15118 and OCPP 2.0, enabling vehicle-to-grid communication technologies.Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) This system was implemented to allow charging station operators and the electric mobility service to exchange information about charging points. The following is a list of the open charge point interface's characteristics: The location status and session information are both being updated.Remote command sending.Giving charge information records to give the correct billing amount.Authorizing charging stations through the token exchange.OADRIt is intended for information exchange among the systems to study the DR. To precisely estimate demand at peak periods when it is in operation; it is standardized to send and receive accurate information between distributed energy resources and the control system of the energy management system. It predicts demand accurately at peak times during its operation.Open Smart Charging ProtocolThis protocol enables communication between an energy management system and a charge point management system for a site owner. It can share immediate predictions on the local energy grid's ability to support a charge point operation.OICPHubject was the one who developed it. It is used for standardized communication between charge point operators and e-mobility service provider systems.Global System for Mobile (GSM)It is the most widely used mobile network today. It runs in the range of 900 and 1800 MHz and is based on circuit switching. With a data rate of up to 270 kbps, the modulation method known as Gaussian Minimum Shifting Key is employed. The mobile handset, base station sub-system, networking switching substation, and operation support substation are the four major subcategories of this protocol's architecture. One of the most secure communication system protocols to date is thought to be this one.General Packet Radio ServiceThis is a packet-based data transfer protocol. Compared to the GSM, this network enables IP-based applications to operate at substantially higher data transfer rates. This specific networking protocol is mostly used for smart grid applications in remote regions.Summarizing with Key PointsEffective communication technologies are essential for successfully implementing smart grid infrastructure, particularly in the context of electric vehicle charging protocols and standards.The open charge point protocol is a widely used application-based protocol that enables communication between charging stations and centrally distributed management systems.The open charge point protocol offers versatility and quick information exchange between electric vehicle drivers and infrastructure, with features such as transaction management, security, smart charging, message display, and warning generation.In addition to the open charge point protocol, there are other common communication protocols used in smart charging systems that facilitate proper communication between entities involved in the charging process.Overall, effective communication technologies play a crucial role in ensuring efficient and reliable electric vehicle charging infrastructure within smart grid systems. This blog post is part of a full research article from the IET Renewable Power Generation. The featured image is courtesy of Midjourney.

Overview: The classifications of wireless charging technologies for electric vehicles are covered in detail in this article. Beyond wired charging methods, wireless charging methods are currently getting a lot of attention because of their benefits.   Catalog Near-Field Charging Technologies Medium-Field Charging Technologies Far-Field Charging Technologies Summarizing with Key Points   According to the transmitted distance, wireless charging methods for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) can be classified into three categories: near-field charging, medium-field charging, and far-field charging. Near-Field Charging Technologies: Inductive, magnetic-resonant, and capacitive charging are the near-field charging technologies for BEVs. Inductive Charging An electromagnetic field is used to transfer power from a transmitter pad to a receiver pad during inductive charging, which is one of the most recent near-field charging methods for modern transportation. This process is seen in Fig. 1. In these systems, maximizing power transfer while maintaining high efficiency is one of the key factors to take into account both during the design phase and during operation. These charging solutions have a maximum efficiency of 90% for a distance of 4 cm and a power transfer capability of 3 to 60 kW over a short distance of 4 to 10 cm, respectively.   Fig. 1: Inductive charging topology for BEVs Source: IEEE Access   Also, it's crucial to control the EV power bus voltage to extend the battery's lifespan. This can be done by simultaneously controlling the switching frequency and conversion ratio of the primary-side converter (i.e., the high-frequency (HF) AC-AC converter at the transmitter pad) and the secondary-side converter (e.g., full-bridge, dual-active bridge DC-DC converter, etc., at the receiver pad).   One of the most important steps in creating a reliable and effective wireless power transfer (WPT) system for charging the batteries of BEVs is the construction of an appropriate power pad. WPT systems still face a number of difficulties despite being employed in many BEV applications. These difficulties include the designs of the power pad and the coil, electromagnetic field protection, HF power converters, metal object detection, etc. Magnetic-Resonant (MR) Charging: The resonant frequency can be increased by adding compensation capacitors, which results in a large transmission distance capability (i.e., 1 to 5 m), making MR charging, as illustrated in Fig. 2, far more efficient than inductive charging. Up to 100 kW of power can be sent over a distance via MR charging. There are four phases to these charging technologies that can be used for installation.   Fig. 2. Magnetic-resonant charging topology for BEVs Source: IEEE Access   Simple residential systems in Phase 1, parking lots in Phase 2, on-street parking in Phase 3, and dynamic charging systems in Phase 4. (future technology for highways). Phases 2 through 4 require government assistance, even though step 1 seems to be widely used in residential BEVs. For instance, the UK invests 40 million pounds in MR-based charging technology research, which includes looking into wireless charging options for street and commercial vehicles like ride-sharing vehicles, delivery vehicles, and so on.   Also recently shown by Oak Ridge National Laboratory is an MR-based wireless charging system with a 120 kW output, which is comparable to a Tesla supercharger. It has a high efficiency of 90% and can transmit a high power of 100 kW across a medium distance of 1 m. Also, Qualcomm built a 100-meter test track in France that includes a 20 kW wireless charging system. Due to the previously mentioned promising characteristics of MR charging, it has garnered greater interest than inductive charging. Capacitive Charging Unlike the inductive and MR charging technologies, capacitive charging can be produced using an electric field. For this reason, two metallic plates with integrated transmitter and receiver pads can be connected to a power source or load, as shown in Fig. 3. These two plates function similarly to two capacitors connected in parallel, which allows for the generation of an electric field between them and the induction of electrical current in the receiver pad.   The rate of change of the electric field between the transmitter and receiver pads is equivalent to this induced current. Hence, by raising the frequency given by the utility grid, power converters like resonant-based converters can be used to raise the rate of the electric field. Their maximal efficiency, transmission distance, and power transfer capacity can all exceed 7 kW, 12 cm, and 80%, respectively.   Fig. 3. Capacitive charging topology for BEVs Source: IEEE Access Medium-Field Charging Technologies Mechanical force serves as the primary energy-carrying medium in the theory behind medium-field charging technologies (also known as magnetic gear-based charging technology). They can be used in low-power charging applications with a 1.5–3 kW range. The magnetic-gear charging mechanism for BEVs is depicted in Fig. 4.   Fig. 4. Medium-field charging topology for BEVs Source: IEEE Access   According to the diagram, the mechanical interaction between two synchronized permanent magnets that are arranged side by side is the basis for this charging technology's operation. They have a medium-range power transfer capability of 3 kW (i.e., 15 cm). Magnetic gear-based charging prototypes that could transfer 1.6 kW across 5 cm with 81% efficiency had been shown as of late 2009 in a number of well-documented papers. Far-Field Charging Technologies This section covers the electromagnetic radiation (EMR)-based far-field charging methods for BEVs, including laser, microwave, and radio wave charging. Laser Charging For the past few years, laser power transmission has been employed for charging reasons in only a small number of real-world applications (such as drones, orbital vehicles, autonomous rovers, etc.). This kind of charging technique uses a distributed laser charging (DLC) transmitter to generate a resonant beam that can have a frequency as high as 3.59 x 1014 Hz, which is then picked up by a DLC receiver. The received beam is then supplied through a DC/DC power converter, as seen in Fig. 5(a), to regulate the output voltage for battery charging needs.   Fig. 5. Wireless charging topology via laser (a) Laser charging for BEVs (b) Future technology of laser charging for satellites and orbital vehicles. Source: IEEE Access   A laser-based system that can transmit 10 MW of power across a distance of up to 10 km with a maximum efficiency of 37% is being developed by the JAXA institute. The charging connection should be considered, though, as losing communication between the transmitter and receiver pads results in no charging; therefore, it is important to maintain consistent charging with good charging capability. One of the next technologies for wireless laser charging is depicted in Fig. 5(b) and might be used for BEVs, solar-powered planetary and satellite applications, orbital vehicles, etc. Microwave Charging Applications involving the transfer of power over a long distance (i.e., 100 km), including platforms based on balloons, helicopters, experimental airplanes, experimental vehicles, etc., have all been tested with microwave charging technology. The highest amount of transmitted energy was attained in an experiment conducted by the US Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1975. The second attempt, tested by N. Kaya, successfully transmitted energy between two objects in space. The first wirelessly propelled aircraft was then launched using a ground-based microwave emitter in Canada in 1987.   Fig. 6. Wireless charging topology via microwave (a) Microwave charging for BEVs (b) future technology of microwave charging for satellites and orbital vehicles. Source: IEEE Access   An electric vehicle system is shown in Fig. 6(a) being powered up using microwaves with a maximum frequency of 2.45 GHz that are produced by Magnetron. As stated, the corresponding power, distance, and maximum efficiency are set at 10 kW, 5 m, and 80%, respectively, for such applications. Unfortunately, BEVs have not yet widely benefited from this technology. The disadvantage of this charging technique is that it stops charging when connectivity between the transmitter pad and receiver pad is lost.    Large antennas, direct line-of-sight transmission routes, and sophisticated tracking systems are also necessary. As seen in Fig. 6(b), wireless charging through microwaves may one day be utilized for applications like electric vehicles and orbital vehicles. Radio Wave Charging The radio wave charging method, which is based on electromagnetic field transmission, is another form of far-field charging technology. With this kind of charging technique, a rectenna that consists of a high frequency filter, a rectifier, and a low frequency filter can be used to capture the power transmitted from the transmitter.    Fig. 7. Wireless charging topology via radio wave for energy harvesting purposes. Source: IEEE Access   As seen in Fig. 7, the rectifier feeds a DC chopper to deliver the desired DC voltage and charging current to the battery. The efficiency of radio wave charging is currently too low in contrast to laser and microwave charging technologies, and as a result, it needs extensive research to be able to satisfy the required power efficiency for BEV charging. Also, an operator must make sure that the charging connection is not lost in order for a radio wave charging system to maintain adequate charging capabilities, as any loss of connection prevents charging.   Summarizing with Key Points: Some of the takeaways from the article are as follows:   Wireless charging methods can be categorized into three categories based on the transmitted distance: near-field, medium-field, and far-field charging. Near-field charging technologies include inductive, magnetic-resonant, and capacitive charging. Key factors to consider when designing and operating these systems include power pad design, coil design and electromagnetic field protection. Other key factors to include are high frequency power converters, metal object detection, etc. Far-field charging technologies include microwave and radio wave charging methods. Microwave charging can be used for electric vehicles as well as satellites and orbital vehicles.  Radio wave charging is based on electromagnetic field transmission and uses a rectenna to capture the power transmitted from the transmitter.    This blog post is part of a full research article from IEEE Access.   The featured image is courtesy of Midjourney.

Overview: The availability of charging infrastructure is the most critical factor in the market penetration of commercial electric vehicles. In this article, a concise evaluation of a variety of topics related to the development of such infrastructure is provided.Charging InfrastructureThe SAE J1772 standard categorizes the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure into three levels based on the charging power rate, voltage, current, and installation location, as shown in Table 1. Levels 1 and 2 are known as slow chargers, while level 3 is a fast charger. These levels indicate how long EVs take to charge.Table 1. Charging Levels of EV According to the SAE J1772 Standard. Source: IEEE Accessi The standard of North America.ii Typical values of DC charging station.iii Developed DC charging station. By the end of 2018, there were roughly 5.2 million light-duty vehicles (electric truck) charging stations installed worldwide. While public charging stations reached 1,44,000 fast chargers and 3,95,000 slow chargers, the majority of these stations were installed as slow-charging private stations. Numerous plans to accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure were also announced. The majority of these announcements concerned chargers from the private sector with various capacities. Other announcements deal with publicly accessible chargers and make fewer promises for infrastructure for charging on highways. The power needs of these vehicles determine whether the current charging infrastructure is appropriate for commercial EVs (CEVs). Light- and medium-duty (electric trucks) ETs can be charged overnight using level 2 chargers, while small- and medium-duty ETs can be charged quickly using level 3 chargers. Additionally, some heavy-duty ETs can be overnight charged using level 3 chargers.  However, the majority of medium- and heavy-duty EVs with long driving distances need specialized fast-charging infrastructure with higher power capacities than the current fast level 3 chargers. As a result, several businesses, including Tritium, Phoenix Contact, BMW Group, and Charge Point, have revealed new plans to install high-power capacity charging infrastructure with a 400 kW or higher rating. Additionally, Tesla Inc. has revealed plans to expand its network of 1 MW mega chargers, each of which can travel 640 km in just 30 minutes. In accordance with the operational schedules of commercial EVs, charging infrastructure can be installed at locations where vehicles are parked (depots, yards, aggregators, etc.) to enable overnight charging or between shifts, as well as in open areas to enable charging along a commercial vehicle's daily route. Two proposed methods for charging commercial EVs are suitable: return-to-base model charging infrastructure and public charging infrastructure. Return-To-Base Model Charging Infrastructure The majority of commercial enterprises use a "return-to-base" strategy, where high-power charging infrastructure is installed at their commercial facilities (depots, yards, industrial micro-grids, etc.) to enable the full charging of electric trucks (ET) outside of working hours, such as overnight or between shifts, as shown in Fig. 1. This is due to the spatial and temporal distribution of commercial truck fleet activities and a lack of suitable public charging stations.  Installing a dedicated charging station for each ET that needs to be charged at the commercial facility is the easiest strategy to implement during the early stages of ET adoption. However, it is possible for several ETs to share a single charging station in order to lower the upfront cost of the infrastructure necessary for charging, provided that this decrease in the number of charging stations does not interfere with the ETs' operational schedules.Fig. 1. Operation model of the return-to-base strategy. Source: IEEE Access Charging at Public Charging Infrastructure Commercial vehicles should ideally be charged where they park, but for a variety of reasons, as shown in Fig. 2, it may still be necessary to charge them while they are on the road during their daily driving cycles. Particularly for small commercial enterprises, charging commercial vehicles while they are on the road can help to reduce the capital cost investment of charging infrastructure required at a parking area. The development of contact-free charging infrastructure, mainly inductive power transfer (IPT) charging systems, has been the subject of extensive research.  Installation of battery swapping charging infrastructure, which allows EVs to swap out their nearly empty battery bank for a fully charged battery bank, is another way to put electric vehicles on the road. Contrarily, conductive charging stations can be gradually sized and scaled up to meet the power needs of CEVs. Therefore, compared to other options, charging stations do not require as much infrastructure investment.Fig. 2. Operation model of public charging infrastructure. Source: IEEE Access Charging Infrastructure for Long-Haul Commercial EVs Large battery banks need to be charged at warehouses because long-distance commercial vehicles have large daily ranges. The payload ratings of long-haul vehicles, however, would be impacted by the weight of the large battery banks. For a few long-haul CEVs that are currently on the market, Table 2 displays the battery weight ratio of the total GVW. As can be seen, increasing battery capacity will result in a higher battery weight to gross vehicle weight ratio, which will lower the maximum payload capability.  According to an analysis, the maximum payload of long-distance CEVs is lower than that of commercial diesel vehicles, as shown in Fig. 3. This graph displays the weight distribution of the major parts for CEVs and diesel vehicles with various battery capacities. As can be seen, compared to diesel vehicles, the CEV's maximum payload is limited to a maximum of 23%.Table 2. The battery weight ratio of the total GVW of some long-haul CEVs. Source: IEEE Accessi The battery weight is calculated based on the energy density 0.125 kWh/kgFig. 3. Weight breakdown of main components for diesel vehicles and CEVs with different battery capacities. Source: IEEE Access In order to electrify long-distance commercial vehicles, the best possible combination of battery bank size and high-power public charging stations along a route is required. Due to the strict operational schedules of these vehicles, charging long-haul vehicles on the road presents numerous difficulties. The number of hours that long-haul vehicles may be operated each day before being required to take a break is subject to many regulations.  For instance, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation, sets a daily cap on the number of hours of service at 10.5 hours before requiring eight hours of rest. Similarly to this, driving is only permitted for a maximum of 4.5 hours per day and must be followed by a minimum of a 45-minute break. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, charging activities for long-distance vehicles must take place when the vehicle is at rest. To keep up with their operational schedules, long-distance vehicles will have to stop at places with lots of high-power charging stations. However, running multiple chargers simultaneously imposes significant challenges on the power grid, requiring expensive network reinforcement. Additionally, the stability of a grid system is impacted by these numerous charging stations, particularly during peak hours. These limitations have an effect on the number of vehicles that can be charged at a particular location and, consequently, the rate at which charging infrastructure is utilized. Fig. 4. Operation model of haulage trucks. Source: IEEE Access The right size and localization of charging infrastructure along highway routes will be necessary to overcome the aforementioned difficulties with charging long-haul vehicles. Electric utilities, fleet owners, and truck stops should work together to identify the best locations for the charging infrastructure while taking into account the reliability of the power systems and the schedules of long-haul vehicles.Summarizing with Key Points: Some of the takeaways from the article are as follows: SAE J1772 standard divides EV charging infrastructure into three levels based on power rate, voltage, current, and installation location. Levels 1 and 2 are slow chargers, while Level 3 is a fast charger.Tritium, Phoenix Contact, BMW Group, and Charge Point have announced plans to install 400 kW or higher charging infrastructure. Tesla Inc. plans to expand its 1 MW mega charger network, which can travel 640 km in 30 minutes.There are two suggested ways to charge commercial EVs: infrastructure for Return-to-base model charging and infrastructure for public charging.Return-to-base strategy is installing high-power charging infrastructure at their commercial facilities (depots, yards, industrial micro-grids, etc.) to fully charge ETs and reduce infrastructure costs. Several ETs can share a charging station.In public charging infrastructure, road charging commercial vehicles reduces parking area charging infrastructure capital costs. IPT charging systems, battery swapping infrastructure, and conductive charging stations have been studied.To charge long-haul vehicles, highway charging infrastructure must be properly sized and located. Electric utilities, fleet owners, and truck stops should consider power system reliability and long-haul vehicle schedules when choosing charging locations. This blog post is part of a full research article from IEEE Access.

Overview: Transportation electrification began with small electric vehicles and gradually entered into medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicle electrification. In this article, we will understand the importance of commercial vehicle electrification and the challenges ahead. Significance of Commercial Vehicles Electrification Global climate change has resulted from human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which have raised the earth's temperature over the past century. The 2016 Paris Agreement sought to reduce global GHG emissions in order to keep the average global warming within two °C above pre-industrial temperatures in order to combat this threat from climate change. The transportation industry, which produces nearly 25% of the world's CO2 emissions, is one of the biggest sources of GHG emissions. Road vehicles account for nearly 75% of all CO2 emissions in the transportation industry among all modes of transportation. Therefore, a crucial step in reducing direct CO2 emissions is the electrification of road transportation. Many governments have therefore established transitional plans to electrify their transportation sector by 2050. Around 10 million electric vehicles (EVs) were in use worldwide as of the end of 2020, with battery electric vehicles making up two-thirds of this total. These EVs are predominantly light passenger cars. Challenges in Commercial Vehicles Electrification Nearly 40% of the world's road transportation sector's CO2 emissions in 2015 came from commercial vehicles, and under the "business as usual" scenario, those emissions are expected to at least double between 2015 and 2050. Therefore, the electrification of commercial vehicles is a crucial research area because it offers a promising chance to significantly reduce these emissions. Due to the small size of electric vehicle batteries, their low mileage, and the lack of public charging infrastructure, the majority of studies on electrifying commercial vehicles have concentrated on the hybridization of these vehicles.  Light-duty trucks (LDTs), which have been successfully electrified without significantly altering travel habits, have been the primary focus of the initial deployment of zero-emission commercial electric vehicles (CEVs), including electric trucks (ETs). Heavy-duty truck (HDT) deployment is in the pilot stage, whereas the deployment of medium-duty trucks (MDT) is still in the early stages. According to recent studies, there have been around 2,50,000 light-duty commercial electric vehicle sales, including trucks, with a stock of close to 31,000 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. When compared to light passenger vehicles, commercial electric vehicle adoption has lagged, which has been attributed to the unsatisfactory policies implemented in this sector. With the availability of suitable charging infrastructure that meets the charging needs of these vehicles, the possibility of electrifying commercial vehicles grows. Commercial vehicle drivers are unlikely to switch to electric vehicles if the charging process is more challenging, uncertain, and time-consuming. However, as can be seen from Table 1, there are a variety of uses for commercial vehicles, which also affects the average load, trip length, and daily mileage of these vehicles. Furthermore, compared to passenger vehicles, the operational schedules of commercial electric vehicles can affect how quickly these vehicles charge up at charging infrastructure. Table 1. Different applications of commercial vehicles. Source: IEEE AccessVMTi refers to Vehicle Miles Travelled,PTOii refers to Power Take-Off,Percentageiii The percentage of the truck population by vocations depends on California truck population. Recent Advancements in Commercial Vehicles Electrification  In contrast to diesel and alternative fuel trucks, however, recent advancements in lithium battery technology have made electric trucks both technically and financially feasible. Existing studies have examined the potential advantages of ETs over diesel trucks over a vehicle's lifetime. These studies have found that, despite the high upfront costs of ETs, they can perform at least as well as diesel trucks over their entire lifecycle, particularly if the latter have long battery lives and high annual mileage. Moreover, the use of ETs, particularly MDTs, and HDTs, has increased as a result of regulations and government incentives encouraging the use of zero-emission vehicles. With battery sizes ranging from 300 kWh to roughly 990 kWh, a number of truck manufacturers, including DAF, Daimler, MAN, Navistar, Nikola, PACCAR, Volkswagen, Volvo, Tesla Inc., and Thor Trucks, have made significant plans to electrify their MDTs and HDTs. Due to their short-range needs and compact batteries, MDTs have drawn the most attention from these announcements regarding electrification. All of the announcements have a model for medium-duty trucks, and some manufacturers, like Daimler and BYD, have already released their commercial trucks for certain markets. In their announcements, some manufacturers, including Navistar, Volkswagen, Thor Trucks, Freightliner, and Tesla Inc., have mentioned the production of HDTs.  On the other hand, a lot of businesses have started incorporating ETs into their fleets or have made an announcement regarding their procurement of ETs. For instance, Walmart Inc. reported 45 class 8 Tesla Semi HDT pre-orders for the coming year. Similar orders for electric delivery trucks were made by Amazon and Rivian in 2019, and Anheuser-Busch announced plans to use 21 HDTs from BYD in California by the end of the year. In general, commercial vehicles, such as trucks, can be divided into three groups based on their gross vehicle weight (GVW). LDTs fall into this category if their GVW is less than 3.5 tonnes (t), MDTs fall into this category if their GVW is between 3.5t and 15t, and HDTs fall into this category if their GVW is above 15t. Each category has a wide range of vehicle types appropriate for their range of occupational operations, such as long-haul freight and garbage collection trucks.  Due to policies encouraging the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and advancements in battery technology, the electrification of MDTs and HDTs has been increasingly adopted in recent years. MDT models with battery bank capacities ranging from 48.5 kWh to about 350 kWh and an estimated range of up to 400 km have been produced by numerous truck manufacturers. Many models of HDTs with battery bank capacities between 120 kWh and 1000 kWh to cover an estimated range of up to 800 km have been introduced or produced. Table 2 lists the specifications of some MDTs and HDTs that are currently advertised or reported. Table 2. Specification of some commercial electric vehicles. Source: IEEE Access The estimated range of CEVs and the availability of appropriate charging infrastructure determine whether or not they can be used to cover the daily travel distance of commercial vehicles. According to surveys, most medium-duty commercial vehicles travel an average daily distance of 80 km to 250 km, while heavy-duty commercial vehicles travel an average daily distance of up to 700 km. As a result, at locations where they park overnight or in between shifts, the reported range of medium-duty CEVs can cover a sizable portion of the daily travel distance with just one charging event per day.  However, some medium- and heavy-duty CEVs require high charging rates to be met in a single charging event over the times they are parked because of high charging requirements (such as long-haul operation, multiple-shift operation, etc.). A high percentage of the daily travel distance is covered by multiple charging events per day at various locations along commercial vehicles' routes due to the constrained capacity of some electrical power infrastructure, which restricts the charging rate of charging infrastructure. Therefore, the number of times a CEV may need to be charged each day will depend on the daily mileage of commercial vehicles, the CEV's estimated range, and the infrastructure's charging rate. Summarizing With Key Points: Some of the takeaways from the article are as follows: Transportation emits nearly 25% of the world's CO2 and GHGs. Thus, many governments have transitional plans to electrify transportation by 2050. As of 2020, there were 10 million electric vehicles (EVs), two-thirds of which were battery-electric. Light passenger cars dominate these EVs.Most studies on electrifying commercial vehicles have focused on hybridization because electric vehicle batteries are small, have low mileage, and lack charging infrastructure.If charging is difficult, uncertain, and time-consuming, commercial vehicle drivers will not switch to electrifying their vehicles.Recently, MDTs and HDTs have been electrified due to policies encouraging zero-emission vehicles and advances in battery technology.  This blog post is part of a full research article from IEEE Access.*******************************************************************************************************************************************