Smart chargers selected for major nationwide trial

The Electric Nation project aims to implement a prototype smart charging solution that will better manage power distribution at a local level at peak times. Evolt, which is a brand of the SWARCO Group, is providing its smart charging unit to 50% of the 500 – 700 members of the public that are being recruited for Electric Nation.

Its units will be subsidised by OLEV* and Western Power Distribution (WPD), which is funding the project. Initially, the project will take place within the bounds of WPD (the South West, South Wales, and the Midlands), but has the ability to be rolled out nationally.

A previous project, My Electric Avenue (which was smaller in scale and used only one type of EV and charger), found that 32% of the UK’s supply cables would require upgrading when 40% – 70% of a network’s customers have EVs.

This is estimated to cost £2.2 billion. Electric Nation is now trialling a smart charging solution that monitors the level of power going to many different makes and models of EV via a variety of charge points; in effect managing the distribution of power at a local level.

“Electric Nation’s scope is far broader than the previous My Electric Avenue project, and is the world’s largest trial of its kind,” says Gill Nowell, Senior Consultant – Smart Interventions at EA Technology, which is responsible for developing the demand control technology, as well as the customer research, marketing and learning dissemination for the project.

“Evolt’s capability to provide smart chargers that stream information via the cloud was key to its selection,” she adds. “It also provides well-known, easy to use and reliable products that are installed throughout the length and breadth of the UK. Having proven systems that are trustworthy was also a central aspect to its selection.”

Justin Meyer, General Manager of Evolt, says the EV industry is constantly adapting: “We need to ensure that our local power distribution networks can cope with the increasing demands of EV charging,” he says.

“We know that when everyone charges at the same time there is increased pressure on the grid. But by working together we can find the right way of optimising the grid's availability and protect the future of EV charging as demand continues to rise."

Electric Nation is the customer-facing brand of CarConnect, a WPD and Network Innovation Allowance funded project. WPD’s collaboration partners in the project are EA Technology, DriveElectric, Lucy Electric GridKey and TRL.