| Within SCALE, Sander Langenhuizen, Hanna van Sambeek, Marisca Zweistra (ElaadNL), Sascha van der Wilt and Willem Christiaens (FIER Automotive & Mobility) published a thorough stakeholder analysis of the smart charging ecosystem. It highlights the diversity in needs and barriers of each stakeholder in the smart charging sector, as well as their interdependencies and the need to create robust synergies. We did a short interview to hear more about their work. Estimated reading time: 3 min |
1. What is required to create a more flexible and interoperable charging system in Europe?
It is important to combat the chicken-and-egg issue of smart charging and V2X. Manufacturers of EVs and charging stations are still hesitant to invest in smart mobility solutions, most notably Vehicle-to-Grid. Uncertainties on future demand by EV drivers for V2X services and unclear and fragmented legislation across Member States negatively impact the business case for manufacturers. Increasing public awareness of these smart solutions is key in helping manufacturers build a sustainable business case.
Furthermore, the European Union should build a clear framework for smart charging and V2X by defining when an EV or charging station can be considered ‘smart charging ready’ or ‘V2X ready’.
Flexible markets should be developed further to allow easier access of small assets like EVs. Formal access has been possible since the introduction of the aggregator role in European legislation, but there are still some major steps that need to be taken in terms of market development. For instance, prequalification procedures to access flexibility markets should be simplified in order to alleviate the administrative burden of aggregators. Giving EV drivers access to proprietary EV data is another important step that needs to be taken.
2. What is the role of the EU in facilitating these? Any strategies, policies, principles etc.?
The energy system has changed drastically in recent years as a result of the electrification of industrial sectors and the growth of decentralised production. The EU should take these developments into consideration in their policy framework. Most notably in the context of V2X is the incorporation of energy storage in new EU legislation, such as the European grid codes. The EU can play a key role in mitigating the chicken-and-egg issue by investigating and implementing policies such as tax breaks for EVs capable of V2X. Again, defining ‘V2X ready’ is a crucial first step the EU needs to take.
The deployment of smart charging and V2X requires the collection, management, and sharing of personal data. The EU should therefore pay particular attention to the core principles of data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity when further developing its policy framework. Finding the right balance between policies on data security (such as the General Data Protection Regulation and the ‘right to be forgotten’) on the one hand, and policies aimed at optimising e-mobility services should remain a main consideration of the EU.
3. How can SCALE use these lessons in its 13 use cases?
There is a multitude of solutions that can be implemented to accelerate flexibility in market development. Determining which solution is the most optimal for unlocking the flexibility of EVs can best be done by testing them in practice.
SCALE’s use cases give us the perfect opportunity to test new policy propositions. The project’s high number of use cases makes it possible to test multiple solutions simultaneously and compare the results of the pilots more easily.
The SCALE partners are using the lessons from the stakeholder analysis to set up the use cases. Through the stakeholder analysis, the entire value chain can more easily be considered, ultimately leading to more successful smart charging and V2X solutions.