Placement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in distribution networks: A review of computational and grid stability approaches

Environmental concerns have put a spotlight on the need to move toward sustainable transport; hence, the idea of switching from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles to electric ones has gained interest. With breakthrough innovations in battery technology, the use of renewable energy, and smart grids, electric vehicles are becoming more and more viable. However, the lack of a robust and well-distributed charging infrastructure is still the biggest hurdle. Poorly located charging stations for electric vehicles discourage consumer trust and negatively impact the grid, since non-regular charging patterns are uncoordinated. This study focuses on the determination of the position of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) in distribution networks that mainly deal with the combination of distributed generation and flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices for the grid stability and security. This study determines the optimal location of EVCS through the use of optimization tools like metaheuristics, multi-objective optimization, and machine learning. These issues should take into account the power limitations, load balancing, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact. This review work has been committed to investigating the integration of electric vehicle charging into the power system with a concentration on the standard IEEE test systems such as 14-bus, 33-bus, 69-bus, and 118-bus networks. Additionally, it deals with different FACTSs for voltage stability and power quality from 2018 to 2025, focusing on their pros and cons regarding efficient and resilient charging in urban and rural areas.