EVBox and The Mobility House join forces. EVBox is a provider of smart and scalable charging solutions, while The Mobility House focuses on smart charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) systems.
As part of the partnership, EVBox will supply hardware for V2G projects carried out by The Mobility House. The Mobility House will provide the software side of projects and take on the implementation. The parties jointly aim to accelerate the transition to emission-free transport through the application of new V2G technology.
Energy storage in vehicles
Renewable energy generation is largely dependent on weather conditions. Think of wind power or the amount of sunlight. To cope with possible shortages of renewable energy, electric cars can be used as temporary energy storage. After all, in many cases they are not used for much of the day and night.
To this end, The Mobility House has developed an intelligent charging and energy management system called ChargePilot. This system optimises the cooperation between electric cars and (external) batteries. The system is not dependent on a charging station or linked to a specific vehicle manufacturer. It is also possible to scale up the ChargePilot system if required.
Optimising the charging process
Among other things, the system is of interest to users such as companies that want to charge larger quantities of electric cars. In some cases, the amount of energy required here exceeds the maximum capacity of the connection to the energy network. Upgrading this connection is not only costly, but also not always possible.
ChargePilot therefore optimises the charging process. The system charges vehicles with dynamic power, matching the power to the user's needs and available energy. It is also possible to schedule charging times so that vehicles are charged at a more convenient time. The system is suitable for a variety of vehicles, ranging from passenger cars and vans to city buses.
Smart Fossil Free Island
EVBox will supply hardware for V2G projects carried out by The Mobility House. The parties previously worked together on a project on Porto Santo island in the archipelago of Madeira, Portugal. This island is also known as the 'Smart Fossil Free Island'. The project started in 2018 and is a collaboration between Groupe Renault, Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira (EEM) and The Mobility House. The project aims to turn Porto Santo into a 'shining example of sustainability'.
A key part of the project is the integration of electric cars and used batteries. This will increase the share of solar energy in the island's overall power supply. EVBox supplied bidirectional charging station for the project, which allows Renault electric vehicles to charge directly to the electricity grid. This is also known as the V2G principle.
Matching supply and demand
The system currently consists of 22 unidirectional and bidirectional electric vehicles from Renault. They are combined with two stationary battery systems consisting of used batteries from Renault vehicles. A cloud platform called 'Marketplace' is used to match supply and demand from the various producers and users of renewable energy. If production cannot keep up with demand, the energy storage system jumps in and releases energy to the energy network, which thus continues to run entirely on renewable energy. The system thus absorbs fluctuations in energy production.
To ensure that users of connected electric vehicles have sufficient battery charge, they can use an app to indicate when they need the vehicle and how far they want to drive. The system then ensures that the battery charge required for this purpose is available at the desired time.
Lab Space in Amsterdam
EVBox also opened its Lab Space in Amsterdam earlier this year. At this new location, the company tests future charging stations in practice. The lab will carry out AC and DC tests on different vehicles and with different loads. The company also aims to further improve load balancing and vehicle-to-grid technologies in the lab.
In November, EVBox also opened a modernised factory in France, producing 45 fast DC chargers per month. The company also has a training centre where it provides technical training on AC and DC charging.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
