Stedin wants Dutch people not to charge their EV between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM

Network operator Stedin is calling on municipalities, charging station operators and consumers not to charge electric cars at public charging stations between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM. During these peak hours there is too much pressure on the Dutch electricity grid.

The grid operator requests that users only use electricity at peak times if really necessary because the grid is 'bursting at the seams' in the afternoon and early evening, according to NOS. This request specifically relates to public charging stations, as municipalities, charging station operators and grid operators make agreements about this and can therefore force the switching off or scaling down of power from these charging stations. Although Stedin also makes this request to consumers, it is difficult for the organizations involved to enforce the appropriate use of private charging points.

According to knowledge center ElaadNL, most EVs are charged with private charging points; People usually connect their electric car to a charging station after work and use the vehicle again in the morning. The car needs to be charged sometime during this period. According to grid operators, it would therefore not matter if EVs were only charged at night or early in the morning and therefore not during peak hours. The grid operator reasons: “If we adjust our behavior, grid operators can free up more capacity. They can then use this to connect companies on the waiting list, but also new-build homes and schools.”

Stedin tested rather whether relieving the burden on the electricity grid by dynamically reducing the charging capacity of charging stations helps. For example, at the end of last year, the grid operator investigated in the South Holland region whether this 'flexible charging' has a positive influence on the current problems of the Dutch electricity grid. According to Stedin, grid operators can connect a new home to the grid for every disabled charging station during the evening peak.

Source: ElaadNL