New AI tools could give utilities real-time data to make the power grid and EV charging more reliable, a very small study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and startup Utilidata suggests. The researchers are using AI to analyze EV charging behavior, hoping those insights might improve the experience for drivers and help utilities prepare for the spike in electricity demand.
initially reached out to Utilidata for this pilot study, which is meant to inform the design of a larger research project investigating the same issues. says it’s already working with the North American Electric Reliability Council to address their initial findings. For this study, the researchers installed electric meter adapters outfitted with Utilidata’s AI platform Karman at six EV charging stations at the University of Michigan. Karman analyzed voltage, current, power, and other dynamics between March and June of last year.