The 8th episode of podNECE discusses a study published in Transport Policy titled "Is electric mobility effective in smoothing the electricity load diagram? Evidence from Europe". This study investigates the impact of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) on different levels of electricity demand—peak, intermediate, and valley—across 26 European countries from 2018 to 2023. Using a threshold model, the research finds that the effect of EV adoption on electricity demand curves is non-linear and depends heavily on the current penetration level of the vehicles. Specifically, BEV adoption initially reduces peak demand and increases off-peak demand, thereby smoothing the load, but this benefit diminishes or even reverses at very high BEV penetration levels. Overall, the authors conclude that with appropriate policy intervention and strategies like Demand-Side Management, electric mobility can significantly enhance the efficiency and sustainability of electricity system

podNECE is a podcast by NECE - Research Centre for Business Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Portugal.