FIELD

This invention relates to the field of systems and methods for managing the charging of electric vehicles.

BACKGROUND

The electric car, electric vehicle (EV) and battery electric vehicle are all used to describe automobiles powered by one or more electric motors utilizing energy stored in rechargeable battery(ies) (or other electricity storage devices such as supercapacitors). The batteries are recharged by connecting to an electrical outlet. Efficient recharging of the batteries typically requires hours and is often done overnight or while the electric vehicle is parked for a significant time. The use of electric vehicles is limited by the sparse availability of recharging facilities. A grouping of electric vehicles may be associated with a particular charging station. These electric vehicles need to recharge during periods of non-use in order to be charged for and ready for periods of use. One or more drivers of the electric vehicles may forget to recharge an electric vehicle or improperly connect the electric vehicle during a period of non-use causing one or more electric vehicles to be unavailable for a subsequent period of use. Additionally, a limited number of charging stations having a limited number of charge transfer devices, which may cause scheduling difficulties for the efficient and timely recharging of the electric vehicles.

