Plug-in mass electromobility through bidirectional smart charging: new project DriVe2X hit the road.
Vehicles-to-everything (V2X) technology has huge potential to drive the mass electromobility uptake and lead the transition towards a greener and smarter mobility system. DriVe2X aims to stay at the forefront of this revolution, advancing technology while keeping an eye open to user requirements.
DriVe2X means "Delivering Renewal and Innovation to mass Vehicle Electrification enabled by V2X technologies". We are a new EU-funded project launched in January 2023, implemented by a EU-wide consortium of 17 partners from 7 countries on a mission to lead the technological advancements enabling mass electromobility deployment in Europe.
The transport and mobility market in the EU is steadily going through a major shift from carbon-based fuels to electric power, following a global trend that, according to experts, will see the EV stock reach over 1 billion units on the road by 20501. The transport sector is among the largest contributors to EU greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, reducing transport emissions is key to meeting the EU's climate neutrality goals, aiming to cut CO2 emissions from cars by 55% and vans by 50% by 2030 (as set in the Fit for 55 legislative package2). However, this ambitious objective comes with a huge challenge linked to the capacity and effectiveness of the whole EU power system. The current mainstream technical approach to EV charging is likely to create an upsurge in power system peak demand, which urges for a significant review of the interaction between grid infrastructure and electric vehicles. Bidirectional charging solutions could be a game-changer, enabling electricity to flow to or from electric vehicles, connecting them with power grids (V2G), buildings (V2B) or homes (V2H).
This is where DriVe2X comes into play. The project aims to pave the ground for a wide transition to V2X (vehicle-to-everything) solutions enabling mass circulation of electric vehicles. Advanced AI techniques for bidirectional smart charging will be developed and tested in 5 demonstration sites across European cities: Amsterdam (NL), Budapest (HU), Terni (IT), Maia (PT) and the Isle of Wight (UK). A new V2X marketplace will be envisioned where EV users and prosumers/homeowners, building managers, and local distribution network operators will trade energy flexibility from bidirectional EV charging points as a true commodity, serving the needs of local mobility. But technology itself is not enough. Acceptance and satisfaction of EV drivers are critical factors to make it all possible and trigger a large V2X uptake. Therefore, DriVe2X will face and analyse its social determinants, aiming to understand what the users' expectations in terms of functionality and design are to incorporate behavioural trends into the equation, driving technological development.
The project's kick-off meeting was held in Brussels on the 11th and 12th of January 2023. All the consortium members gathered under the guidance of LUT University as project coordinator, making the first step of a 4-year exciting ride.
Contacts:
Project coordinator:
Goncalo Pinto Mendes, Ville Tikka
DriVe2X@lut.fi
LUT University
Communication Manager:
Francesco Agresta
francesco.agresta@icons.it
Fondazione ICONS
Project website: https://drive2x.eu/
Twitter: @drive2x_eu
LinkedIn: DriVe2X
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