Smart energy interfaces for electric vehicles

Electric vehicle charging strategies rely on knowledge of future vehicle usage, or implicitly make assumptions about a vehicle's usage. For example, a naïve charging strategy may assume that a full charge is required as soon as possible and simply charge at the maximum rate when plugged in, whereas a smart strategy might make use of the knowledge that the vehicle is not needed for a number of hours and optimise its charging behaviour to minimise its impact on the electricity grid. These charging strategies may also offer vehicle-to-grid services. To achieve this functionality, a driver needs to specify the details of the next trip---or sequence of trips---in order for the charging strategy to perform optimally. This paper explores the value of next-trip information, and presents a potential user interface to assist a driver with providing these details.