Electric vehicle power management systems

A computer program product for managing power flow using safe failure modes in an electric vehicle charging network, comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the computer usable medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer system, the computer readable program code means comprising:
• computer readable program code for communicating a first charging behavior from a central flow controller to a plurality of electric vehicles;
• computer readable program code for controlling power flow between each of a plurality of charging stations and their corresponding electric vehicles according to the first charging behavior;
• computer readable program code for detecting a communications failure mode between the central flow controller and the plurality of electric vehicles;
• computer readable program code for controlling, in response to detecting the communications failure mode, power flow between each of a plurality of charging stations and their corresponding electric vehicles according to the second charging behavior during the period of time of the communications failure, wherein the second charging behavior is predictable and non-disruptive to a power circuit supplying power to the plurality of charging stations.

A system for managing power flow using safe failure modes in an electric vehicle charging network, comprising:

• a central power flow controller communicatively coupled to a plurality of electric vehicles, the central power flow controller communicating a first charging behavior to the plurality of electric vehicles,
• each of the plurality of electric vehicles including:
• a memory for storing a plurality of charging behaviors from the central flow controller;
• a processor for controlling power flow between its associated electric vehicle and an associated charging station according to the first charging behavior of the plurality of charging behaviors received from the central flow controller;
• and
• a communication interface for detecting a communications failure mode between the central flow controller and the electric vehicle,
• wherein in response to detecting the communications failure mode, the processor controls power flow between the charging station and the electric vehicle according to the second charging behavior during the period of time of the communications failure, wherein the second charging behavior is predictable and non-disruptive to a power circuit supplying power to the plurality of charging stations.