Electric Vehicle Charging from Tramway Infrastructure: A New Concept and the Turin Case Study

Matteo Prussi (), Alfredo Felix Cota (), Lorenzo Laveneziana, Giuseppe Chiantera and Paolo Guglielmi
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Matteo Prussi: Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, TO, Italy
Alfredo Felix Cota: Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, TO, Italy
Lorenzo Laveneziana: Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, TO, Italy
Giuseppe Chiantera: Municipality of Turin, 10129 Turin, TO, Italy
Paolo Guglielmi: Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, TO, Italy

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: The electrification of transport is expected to progressively replace significant shares of light duty mobility, especially in large cities. The European Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) aims to drive the adoption of electric mobility by establishing specific targets for charging point deployment. Innovative charging concepts may complement and accelerate the uptake of this fundamental part of the urban mobility transition. In this paper, one such innovative concept is described and its potential impact is assessed. The core idea involves integrating charging points into existing city tramway infrastructures. Turin’s tramway network is taken as a representative case study. The proposed technical solution encompasses a charging hub powered by four isolated DC/DC converters of 50 kW, directly connected to the DC tramway distribution line. Three of these constitute the heart of a 150 kW charger, while the fourth acts as voltage regulator. This native DC installation greatly simplifies the architecture of the DC chargers. Using a conservative approach, it was estimated that a single recharging station could charge more than 60 vehicles daily. This highly scalable and replicable solution, with the potential for over 100 conversion substations across Italy, would enable the installation of numerous high-power chargers in urban settings. Furthermore, additional benefits could be realized through enhanced recovery of kinetic energy from trams, which is currently dissipated on-board.

Keywords: electrification of transport; charging stations; urban mobility transition; DC conversion substations; environmental impact (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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