Article published in ENLIT Europe, authored by Hugo Morais
Electric vehicles (EVs) are at the heart of Europe’s energy transition, with their rapid growth reshaping mobility, energy systems and urban planning.
Ensuring that millions of EVs can be integrated seamlessly into Europe’s power grids requires more than just technological advances in batteries and charging infrastructure – it demands smarter, more user-centric management strategies.
Launched in June 2022, the Horizon Europe project EV4EU was created with this ambition in mind. Its primary goal is to develop and implement user-focused vehicle-to-everything (V2X) management strategies, enabling the large-scale adoption of EVs across Europe while supporting grid stability, renewable integration and consumer empowerment.
Through the efforts of 22 partners from four European countries, the project has focused on two main applications: improving tools and solutions to consider user needs and creating an open platform for information exchange between systems, network operators, and charging operators.
Wrapping up results
With 40 months into the project, we have been focusing on exploring the project’s key exploitable results. From a technological perspective, EV4EU has introduced a new cost-effective V2X solution designed for use in condominiums and small businesses. This solution is patented and has already entered the commercial exploitation phase.
Another key achievement of the EV4EU project is the development of the Open-V2X management platform, which enables the management of public charging stations with V2X capabilities. This open source platform is available for use by charge point operators (CPOs) and offers a crucial feature: the ability to interact with system operators, facilitating participation in flexibility services.
In addition, the project has developed a solution for managing EV flexibility through a virtual power plant, enabling EVs to participate in both national and local electricity markets. A specialised solution for planning and activating this flexibility by DSOs has also been proposed and tested.
Looking behind the meter requires several methodologies and algorithms to be applied in homes, buildings, parking lots, companies and energy communities. These solutions are now being tested in demonstrators installed in four European countries – Portugal, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia.
Testing in real-world scenarios
On the island of São Miguel, Azores, the Portuguese demonstrator aims to test V2X strategies that facilitate EV charging in homes, buildings and companies. The demo sites are spread across three different locations: at the headquarters of Electricidade dos Açores (EDA), where V2X management strategies are tackling fleet management for SMEs focusing on light passenger vehicles, at the LREC office building, to test the scenario of public buildings, and at seven houses strategically distributed across various locations on São Miguel Island to address electric charging in homes.
In Denmark, the demo explores the advantages of integrating V2X strategies in the energy management of parking lots integrating renewables, based in two locations. Risø is a research campus of DTU located in Roskilde, and Campus Bornholm is an educational institute in the main town of Rønne, on the island of Bornholm. Despite the different settings, the installed EV charging infrastructure is identical at both locations, comprising six AC chargers (22kW) each with two outlets, providing the opportunity for 12 EVs to be connected simultaneously.
In Greece, the project is testing a more intuitive platform for managing charging stations and investigating the impact of electric vehicles on the grid. The pilot will mostly take place in the Mesogia Area, located in the Attica region.
Finally, in Slovenia, the location is the business office building in Krško, which already features integrated PV production equipment. The facility will be equipped with 10 controllable charging stations (each charger has two outlets capable of supplying up to 22kW), which can be autonomously controlled to provide behind-the-meter services. This demonstration aims to test the impact of V2X on the electricity network, the energy market and system services.
Towards the final months
In the final months, the primary goal is to complete all planned tests and thoroughly assess the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies, ensuring that they meet both technical and operational expectations. Subsequently, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the benefits offered by smart charging and vehicle-to-grid strategies in mitigating grid constraints.
These strategies aim not only to minimise the need for substantial investments in power grids and increasing installed capacity within buildings, but also to support a more sustainable and efficient use of existing infrastructure. Additionally, they facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources, enhance the grid’s resilience and enable the provision of critical grid services within local energy markets.
Follow EV4EU work on its website, LinkedIn, Instagram and X. You can also explore videos of the project’s milestones on our YouTube channel INESCID Energy.
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