Image: Renault project coordinator
Publish Date: 16.04.2021
Category: Our contribution to sustainable development goals
Sustainable development goals: 7 Affordable and clean energy, 11 Sustainable cities and communities, 13 Climate action (Indicators)
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana and the Slovenian transmission system operator ELES are participating in the European project INCIT-EV, whose main goal is to develop and test various electric vehicle charging technologies that will improve the user experience and further stimulate the electrification of transport. As research has shown, inadequate charging infrastructure that is not tailored to the needs of users is one of the main obstacles to the wide adoption and use of electric vehicles. Another important aspect in deploying different types of electric vehicle charging stations is their impact on traffic flows and, of course, electric power systems.
The four-year INCIT-EV project is co-financed by the EU through the Horizon 2020 programme. The project is valued at EUR 18.6 million. It is coordinated by Groupe Renault and involves 32 partners from eight countries. In addition to vehicle manufacturers (Renault, PSA, etc.), the partners include municipal administrations (e.g. Paris, Turin, Zaragoza), transport infrastructure managers, electricity network operators, e-mobility service providers (electric car sharing and smart charging), research organisations, and human behaviour experts. The main objective of the project is to demonstrate innovative solutions in the field of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in various environments, such as wireless charging in urban centres and on motorways, charging at P&R sites, and smart charging. An important part of the project is studying user preferences with the aim of adapting the development of technology to their needs and expectations.
As part of the project, five demonstration sites will be set up in urban and suburban environments to test innovative charging technologies, which include bi-directional smart charging, dynamic wireless charging, and super-fast charging along European road corridors. Several thousand private electric vehicle users, a number of local communities, associations of taxi drivers, and electric car-sharing companies will directly participate in testing different types of charging stations. A key aspect of the development of these solutions is their integration into existing transport, electricity and information networks. Bi-directional charging stations that enable both charging and discharging of vehicle batteries are particularly relevant with regard to electric power systems. This functionality allows electric vehicles to actively participate in network control, thus increasing the flexibility of electric power systems, which is necessary due to the growing share of renewable energy sources.
The project will also develop a platform to support the planning and integration of charging infrastructure. The platform will be designed as a tool to aid decision makers (urban planners, transport managers, electricity network operators, etc.) in the optimal placement and sizing of new charging stations, taking into account the current situation in a particular environment, as well as knowledge about user behaviour. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering is intensively involved in this part of the project, focusing on an assessment of the impact of electric vehicles on the operation of electricity networks. Electric vehicles will significantly increase electricity consumption, which means that the networks will have to be upgraded. However, smart charging of electric vehicles that is tailored to the needs of users can significantly reduce the need for additional investments in primary infrastructure.
The official website of the project:https://www.incit-ev.eu/.