UC San Diego: A Living Laboratory for EV Research

"We want to ensure that cars are charged when clean energy is abundant, rather than relying on energy from natural gas during off-peak hours,” said David Victor, professor of innovation and public policy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, who is also a lead researcher on the project and co-director of the Deep Decarbonization Initiative. “By aligning EV charging with peak renewable energy production, the university can help reduce the need for costly additional energy storage systems, turning electric vehicles themselves into a form of energy storage.”

Victor added, “The EV revolution will hinge on human behavior and until now, the world doesn’t know very much about what’s actually going to affect that behavior.”

Innovative Research on Campus to Shape Decarbonization Policies for the Rest of California and the World

The Triton Chargers club continues to grow with more UC San Diego faculty, staff, students and visitors who drive EVs signing up in exchange for benefits like discounted charging. The club is also open to the public; anyone interested in joining can go to the club’s web page. 

“The goal is to take the knowledge gained here and use it to shape policies and practices for EV charging in the rest of California and the world,” Victor said.  

Following the pandemic, UC San Diego saw a significant increase in the number of EVs on campus, fueled by both the addition of new charging stations and dedicated parking spaces for electric vehicles. This year, the university is more than doubling the number of chargers, thanks to a new grant from the California Energy Commission, which will help the campus meet growing demand for more chargers.

“Participating in these studies not only helps improve UC San Diego’s EV charging infrastructure, but it also has broad implications for California, as the adoption of electric vehicles is central to the state’s carbon reduction goals,” said Josh Kavanagh, assistant vice chancellor of Transportation and Activation at UC San Diego. “This research is truly testament to innovation underway at our campus, which serves as a living laboratory where ideas become real-world solutions.”

In addition to Kavanagh and staff within transportation services, the studies involve collaboration with Byron Washom, director of strategic energy initiatives at UC San Diego, as well as researchers at the Jacobs School and Engineering. 

Understanding What Leads to Charging Behavior While Energy is at its Cleanest

The studies tested two different approaches to encourage “green” charging behaviors. The first approach involved providing drivers with information about the environmental benefits of daytime charging, while the second offered financial incentives, including significant cash rebates, to entice people to charge their vehicles on campus.

The results were surprising. While information about the climate benefits of daytime charging successfully led to more sustainable charging habits—particularly by shifting charging times from early morning to later in the day—financial incentives had an unexpected effect. If drivers couldn’t find a charger midday, those who received larger financial rewards were more likely to charge during the early morning and overnight hours, when the campus network was less utilized–but also when the energy supply is “dirtier” due to the reliance on natural gas. These findings suggest that financial incentives for encouraging environmentally friendly charging practices need to be carefully designed to avoid having counterproductive effects, and that the charging network itself may limit how flexibly people can charge.

Supporting the Growing Need for Workplace Charging

Another major motivation for the research is to support the broadening profile of EV owners. Early adopters of electric vehicles were typically wealthy homeowners with access to private home charging stations. However, as EV adoption grows, many new EV owners are renters or residents of multi-dwelling units without dedicated parking spaces, making it difficult to install home chargers. 

Ryan Hanna, an assistant research scientist with UC San Diego’s Center for Energy Research and the Deep Decarbonization Initiative explained, "Most forecasts indicate that workplace charging will become the second-most prevalent form of charging, behind residential charging. This trend is particularly important for organizations and businesses as they work to support employees who are transitioning to electric vehicles. It also holds great promise for carbon reduction since daytime charging, when commuter vehicles are parked at work, has significantly lower carbon intensity.”

With the data from the UC San Diego studies, Hanna served as co-first author with Jeff Myers, a research associate with the Deep Decarbonization Initiative, on a paper published in the journal Renewable Energy that developed an innovative computational tool that any institution can use to better design their EV charging networks.

The tool takes into account real-world data on how drivers use their vehicles and charge them, making it an invaluable resource for organizations looking to support their employees who are making the switch to electric vehicles.

How Federal Funds Support Research in the Global Race to Produce Clean Technology

These studies were partially funded by the National Science Foundation and there is complimentary research underway funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

“As research agencies face budget cuts, the U.S. will lose its competitive edge against countries like China that are innovating quickly on clean technology,” Victor said. “The EV industry is expected to be worth trillions in years to come. If the U.S. can continue to lead in innovation in EVs, it not only helps the country mitigate climate change; it also means our companies can dominate future markets, create jobs, and set standards that the rest of the world follows.”

For more information on how federal funding allows UC San Diego to innovate, go to the Behind Every Breakthrough website. 

Learn more about research and education at UC San Diego in: Climate Change