Design and Preliminary Testing of a V2G Smart Charging Lab for Electrical Vehicles in Bidirectional Charging Applications

The energy transition demands advanced solutions to manage the inherent variability of renewable sources such as solar and wind power. A key strategy to address this challenge is the integration of Electric Vehicles (EVs) as distributed storage units through bidirectional charging (V2X). This technology allows vehicles not only to draw energy from the grid but also to feed it back, enabling critical services such as demand balancing, optimization of self-consumption, and peak load reduction. This thesis focuses on the Design and Preliminary Testing of a V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) Smart Charging Laboratory for Electric Vehicles dedicated to bidirectional charging applications. The primary objective was to conceive and implement an experimental environment that allows for the simulation and validation of communication according to the latest standard. The laboratory was designed to support DC (Direct Current) charging with a power capacity of up to 12 kW. A crucial technical focus is placed on the implementation of communication protocols between the vehicles and the charging infrastructure, with particular attention to the ISO 15118-20 standard (dynamic power management). The thesis describes in detail the system architecture, component selection, and the control software (Power Electronics Communication Controller) developed using the CAN protocol. The Preliminary Testing phase aims to verify the system’s functionality and reliability, validating the correct implementation of power flows and bidirectional communication protocols. Initial tests were conducted to evaluate the system’s effectiveness in key scenarios such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), providing the first experimental data and valuable insights for the future development of innovative solutions that enhance the integration between electric mobility and smart power grids.