E-mobility makes great strides in GreenCharge cities
The GreenCharge e-mobility project began in September 2018, with great progress made since then in the project’s three pilot cities.
In Oslo (Norway), photovoltaic solar panels and charging points were installed at flats belonging to the Røverkollen housing cooperative, providing access to cost-efficient and renewable charging facilities for inhabitants. Facilitating the expected growth in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) is a challenge for the housing cooperation.
In order to manage the capacity of the electricity grid whilst ensuring that residents can charge their EV within a certain timespan, new charging infrastructure has been deployed in their garage that operates with a demand management functionality.
The pilot in Barcelona (Spain) is focused on replacing fossil fuel-powered scooters with light electric vehicles (LEVs), such as e-bikes or e-scooters. In three demonstration cases, e-mobility solutions are being tested that cover: booking and charging; smart charging management to foster self-consumption of renewable energy; and e-mobility sharing services.
In addition, different battery charging profiles will be tested to investigate their relative impacts on the health of batteries and ability to extend battery lifespans. Results of these tests will be included in the charging strategies of the overall charging management system.
Integrating EVs into car-sharing systems and using stationary batteries to store renewable energy are two important features of the pilot in Bremen (Germany). Shared electric cars are now located in residential neighbourhoods and combined with public transport at Bremen’s “mobil.punkt” stations.
Stationary storage of renewable energy makes it possible to cope with peak demand from charging and increases the number of cars that can be charged using renewable energy. In business areas, booking enforcement for priority charging is also being tested as a way to overcome range anxiety, i.e. the fear that a vehicle has insufficient “range” to reach its desired destination.
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Author: Richard Adams
