Work

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Colombian Active Distribution Networks: Models, Impacts, and Research Challenges

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The rapid growth of electric mobility is reshaping active distribution networks (ADNs), where electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) introduce spatially concentrated, time-dependent, and highly simultaneous demand. This paper develops a network-oriented framework to evaluate EVCS integration in ADNs by coupling Colombian EV demand characterization, photovoltaic (PV) generation, battery energy storage system (BESS) operation, and AC power flow feasibility. The framework is applied to a 33-bus distribution feeder through four EVCS deployment cases and three support architectures: PV-only, PV–BESS colocated, and PV–BESS dispersed operation. The results show that non-coordinated EVCS deployment may increase losses, reduce voltage margins, and produce thermal overloads when feeder electrical sensitivity is ignored. They also reveal that optimized EVCS siting is insufficient under PV-only support, since PV generation lacks the controllability required to reshape feeder power flows during charging peaks. By contrast, BESS-assisted architectures substantially improve feeder operation, with dispersed storage achieving the best performance by decoupling charging demand locations from grid support locations. SOC and SOH analyses further demonstrate that storage feasibility and degradation must be assessed together with voltage, loading, and loss indicators. The proposed framework provides an operationally consistent basis for technically feasible EVCS planning in ADNs, linking local EV demand characterization, AC feasibility, support-architecture selection, and battery lifetime assessment.

Source: Sci

DOI: 10.3390/sci8050119

Authors: César Augusto Marín Moreno, Kevin Alexander Leyton-Valencia, Luis Fernando Grisales-Noreña, Rubén Iván Bolaños, Jesús C. Hernández

Institutions: Universidad de Jaén, Universidad del Valle, University of Pamplona

Language: English

Topic: Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Sustainable cities and communities, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,448