Integration of electric vehicles in areas of extreme heat

As EV technology continues to progress and its market share grows, economies worldwide are increasing their uptake of vehicles. This includes countries characterised by hot and harsh climates where there can be some common challenges with respect to the integration of electric vehicles in their road transport systems. For example, the potential impacts of high temperatures on the degradation of batteries and charging infrastructure. Solutions developed in one country therefore may be relevant to others. The following webinar provides outcomes and insights from a research project in Qatar into this important research area by the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI).  

QEERI is undertaking research to support the roll-out of electric vehicles in Qatar. The emphasis of the experimental and modelling activities is on developing solutions that reduce the negative impact of the harsh climate and environs of Qatar on EVs and charging infrastructures and understand and utilise the opportunities offered. Aspects covered include: 

• High temperatures can, in particular, affect the functioning of fast and ultra-fast chargers and substantially reduce the lifetime of the batteries on-board the vehicles or at charging stations. Fast chargers are not only key to supporting EV adoption among passenger car users but are also needed at bus transit and other heavy-duty vehicle depots. Although different fast charging systems are available in the market, these are mainly designed for certain climate conditions.
• Environmental conditions, such as dust, have also been observed to have a detrimental effect on the power electronics of batteries and chargers; the impact of this needs to be better understood and adequate solutions developed.
• The uncontrolled charging of EVs may have disruptive impacts on the grid (power quality, transformer aging) which may require utilities to have additional capital investments. QEERI are addressing this issue in the context of a rapidly evolving system where the expansion of urban areas is accompanied by the deployment of smart grid technology and solar photovoltaic panels.
• The techno-economic and policy perspective, taking into account the specificities of the market and its various segments, but also climate aspects and particularly how the use of air conditioning will impact electric vehicle range.

Sertac Bayhan is a Senior Scientist at Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), where he leads EV Integration and Demand Side Management projects. Prior to joining QEERI, Sertac held various academic positions in prestigious universities over a 15-year career. Because of the visibility of his research, he has been elected as the Chair of the IEEE Industrial Electronic Society Power Electronics Technical Committee. He is an active Senior member IEEE and serves as Associate Editor for many IEEE journals. He holds Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Gazi University, Turkey.

Pierre Kubiak is a Senior Scientist at QEERI where he is leading the battery reliability project within the energy management group. Pierre is a chemist specialized in the field of Li-ion batteries. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University Montpellier II in France. He has held positions in several research institutes in Europe where he worked on academic and research applied projects. Recently Pierre focused his attention on battery integration projects, which includes battery management, failure diagnostic and post-test characterisation for both electric vehicle technology and stationary applications.

Marcello Contestabile is Principal Economist at QEERI where he leads techno-economic and policy research. Over the last 15 years, he has conducted extensive techno-economic and policy analysis on low-emission road transport technology, particularly battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and related infrastructure. Marcello has held positions in research organisations in Europe and the Middle East, in consultancy, industry and government. Most recently he served as managing consultant at E4tech in London, UK, where he lead projects on electric vehicle battery technology and industrial policy for the UK government and other organisations. He holds a Masters and PhD from Imperial College London.