Method for Controlling Electrical Charging of a Group of Vehicles

A method for controlling electrical charging of a group of vehicles, wherein respective vehicles are connected to an electricity grid for charging a vehicle-based energy store for driving the respective vehicle, wherein a central control system communicatable with the respective vehicles of the group and with a server of the electricity grid operator, wherein the central control system selects, based on a received charging command originating from the server of the electricity grid operator and specifying a charging time period, a number of vehicles from the group that are intended to charge their vehicle-based energy stores by way of the electricity grid, wherein

• a charging time window, a departure time and a desired state of charge of the vehicle-based energy store at the departure time are respectively stipulated in advance for one or more specific vehicles of the number of vehicles, wherein, for a respective specific vehicle, the duration of the charging operation until the desired state of charge is reached is estimated and the respective specific vehicle distributes the charging operation to the periods of time in ascending order of the cost values (k1, . . . , k7) in accordance with a cost function that stipulates different cost values (k1, . . . , k7) for different periods of time until the departure time, wherein the cost function for a respective specific vehicle is stipulated by the central control system as follows:
• a) if the charging time period or a part of the charging time period is within the charging time window, a first cost value (k1) is assigned to the charging time period or to the part of the charging time period within the charging time window;
• b) if the charging time window or a part of the charging time window temporally succeeds the end of the charging time period, a second cost value (k2), which is higher than the first cost value (k1) if a first cost value (k1) is assigned, is assigned to the charging time window or to the part of the charging time window after the end of the charging time period;
• c) if the charging time window or a part of the charging time window temporally precedes the start of the charging time period, a third cost value (k3), which is higher than all of the assigned cost values from the set consisting of the first and second cost value (k1, k2), is assigned to the charging time window or to the part of the charging time window before the start of the charging time period;
• d) if the charging time period or a part of the charging time period temporally succeeds the charging time window, a fourth cost value (k4), which is higher than all of the assigned cost values from the set consisting of the first to third cost value (k1, k2, k3), is assigned to the charging time period or to the part of the charging time period after the charging time window;
• e) if the charging time period or a part of the charging time period temporally precedes the charging time window, a fifth cost value (k5), which is higher than all of the assigned cost values from the set consisting of the first to fourth cost value (k1, . . . , k4), is assigned to the charging time period or to the part of the charging time period before the charging time window;
• f) a sixth cost value (k6), which is higher than all of the assigned cost values from the set consisting of the first to fifth cost value (k1, . . . , k5), is assigned to each period of time that is neither within the charging time period nor within the charging time window and temporally succeeds the end of the charging time period;
• g) a seventh cost value (k7), which is higher than all of the assigned cost values from the set consisting of the first to sixth cost value (k1, . . . , k6), is assigned to each period of time that is neither within the charging time period nor within the charging time window and temporally precedes the start of the charging time period.