ENABLING LARGE E-FLEETS PARTICIPATION IN POWER SYSTEMS OPTIMISATION THROUGH MASS DEPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE-FRIENDLY, LOW-COST INFRASTRUCTURE AND INTEROPERABLE VEHICLES

ongoing

Electric car markets have grown exponentially in recent years and the trend continued strongly through 2023. The EU has passed legislation to match its electrification ambitions, and more R&D projects are being funded to develop affordable user-centric EV concepts. Equally important is the sufficient coverage of charging infrastructure to achieve the optimal ratio of EVs per charger. The ePowerMove concept is to develop a global energy-usage optimiser which brings together advanced technologies from charging infrastructure design and grid energy control, with a number of innovative and complementary elements to maximise the potential utilisation of individual innovations. All developments in the project are driven by social innovation, affordability and user acceptability, meeting users’ needs and requirements in socio-cultural contexts of different communities. The proposed slow charging solutions are cost-effective, bi-directional and interoperable, and intelligently synergised with the grid, to optimise the overall efficiency and capacity of power supply, mindful of increasing penetration of renewable energy systems. Solutions are demonstrated in Helsinki (Finland) with focus on charging infrastructure cost reduction and people-friendly applications, Klagenfurt (Austria) with focus on business model development and Nicosia (Cyprus) with focus on grid compatibility and energy flow optimisation. The multi-level systemic architecture is designed to be flexible, scalable, and compatible with a variety of regional power systems and V2G technologies. New business and usage models are explored to maximise the project results' impact, building up from a proven proliferation model developed in several EU-funded projects to assess policy intervention scenarios and strategies for mass-deployment EV uptake. ePowerMove will accelerate the transition to sustainable urban e-mobility and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the global transport sector.