Potential Consumer Response to Electricity Demand Response Mechanisms: Early Plug-in Electric Vehicle Drivers in San Diego, California

This report summarizes findings of household interviews and focus groups conducted with plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) drivers on the effects of demand response management (DRM) strategies on the time of day of PEV charging. The research was conducted in the spring and fall of 2012 with PEV drivers in San Diego County, CA. The DRM strategies were of three basic types. First, electricity pricing included intentional and carefully designed time-of-use (TOU) price signal, as well as uncontrolled implicit TOU signals resulting from differences between home and away-from-home prices of electricity. Second, technology, in this case timers onboard PEVs and in the electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE), i.e., the “chargers” were available to support PEV drivers adherence to a chosen time to start vehicle charging. Third was exhortation about the private and social benefits of shifting electricity demand to off-peak periods. It is not possible to entirely disentangle the effects of the individual DRM strategies. PEV drivers reveal different comparative standards for whether any electricity price is perceived to be “high” or “low.” Their behavior, in aggregate, suggests the effect of TOU prices may be more like an off-on switch than the continuous change implied by the most common measure of such prices, i.e., own-price elasticity of electricity.

• Record URL:
  http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=1950
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://library.its.berkeley.edu
• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Davis

  Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center, Institute of Transportation Studies
  Davis, CA  United States  95616

  ECOtality North America

  1 Montgomery Street
  Suite 2525
  San Francisco, CA  United States  94104

  California Energy Commission

  1516 9th Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814

  California Department of Transportation

  1120 N Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814
• Authors:
  • Kurani, Kenneth S
  • TyreeHageman, Jennifer
  • Caperello, Nicolette
• Publication Date: 2013-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 34p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Demand; Electric vehicles; Electricity; Plug-in hybrid vehicles; Pricing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Battery charging
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I70: Traffic and Transport;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01497439
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Report/Paper Numbers: UCD-ITS-RR-13-12
• Contract Numbers: Ev-Sra-1004, 500-09-041
• Files: CALTRANS, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 19 2013 5:19PM