Implementation of a System to Find Suitable Charging Stations for Electric Cars

Abstract

Charging station is an electrical system infrastructure designed to recharge electric cars. And there are different types of charging stations based on the type of connector/plug it uses and the mode of charging it operates in. Therefore, electric car users have to choose a station compatible to their cars. The thesis has presented a thorough research on how public charging stations work and the elements involved in electric car charging process such as battery capacity, charging modes, plug types and charging station power output. It also provides a comprehensive research from several sources on the electric cars currently (as in May 2018) available in the market, their battery size and the manufacturer provided plug type. To achieve better user experience of charging stations, an app was developed as a system implementation for eleven hypothetical charging stations located in four places in the city of Vaasa, Finland. The app has successfully simulated the availability status check for the stations. It also calculates the estimated charging time and charging costs specific for any electric car. The app was developed using android studio and it can be launched in any android phone with API 15 and above.