To meet the target of reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and increasing the share of electricity generated from renewable sources to 65% by 2030 (AgoraEnergiewende, 2020), the transport sector has a huge task ahead of it. In order to reduce annual CO2 emissions from private motor vehicles, governments and the market see promoting the use of electric vehicles as one of the best solutions. However, the yearly electricity consumption of an electric vehicle is not a small number (Otto et al., 2018). When the number of EVs increases, the act of EV charging will put a burden on the grid and, at the same time, complicate the use of EVs and discourage people from buying them. Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate the time-of-use tariff strategy to coordinate EV charging activities: Whether this kind of adjustment method allows for a better allocation of electricity in both time and space, relieving pressure on the grid during peak periods. In the same time, whether it safeguards the revenue of charging infrastructure and service operators.
Using a small simulation model with 70 EVs, the study identifies that a time-of-use pricing strategy can help manage and adjust EV charging in a certain. It can reduce demand during peak periods, shift it to other periods, and balance the use of various charging infrastructures without affecting operating revenue. However, extreme care needs to be taken when setting the price of time-of-use tariffs, as too low a price differential will not receive an effect. At the same time, too high a price differential will result in new mini-peaks in electricity consumption and reduced revenue. A moderate ratio of minimum to maximum charging price should be set at approximately 1:2.5 to 1:4, according to the type of charging infrastructure.