PEPP – Public EV Power Pilots

The increasing electrification poses new challenges for our electricity grid and new smart solutions that can contribute to a more resource-efficient use of energy can play a big role for a sustainable development. One of these solutions could be to utilize excess energy from car batteries - not least considering that our cars are standing still most of the time.

PEPP is about exploring the large amount of energy available in electric cars when they are not in use and seeing if that excess capacity can be used to balance the electricity grid. The potential that exists is great. To investigate this, the project partners within PEPP will conduct two user studies in realistic pilots with parked cars at Lindholmen and Volvo Cars. The technology to be used is bidirectional charging, so-called V2G (Vehicle to Grid) and which can be utilized to balance the electricity grid. Exploring this in a public setting will enable analyzes of this from a systems perspective.

One of the biggest differences between the two tests is that cars parked in garages stay stationary longer than cars used in a car pool. But there are more questions to focus on regarding technical systems, how people perceive and use bidirectional charging in public environments, policy-related issues and what value the services create. This will be explored by PEPP. The project will also develop technical systems for the optimization of car pools, user interaction and energy optimization.

The tests will last for two years and include a total of twelve cars, six in each user study. At the end of 2024, the project should have arrived at what the next step is, and after 2025 studies on a larger scale await, where hundreds and even more cars may be included.