
GRID AWARE MOBILITY AND ENERGY SHARING
Creating new revenue streams for electric shared vehicle fleets by providing services for the electrical grid and energy communities!
Digitalization can enable electric shared vehicle fleets to answer to more mobility needs
The share of electric vehicles (EVs) is rapidly growing in Europe and all over the world. Batteries of EVs not only represent their fuel tanks but also hold a big potential of energy storage for our whole electrical system.

Digitalization can enable electric shared vehicle fleets to answer to more mobility needs
The share of electric vehicles (EVs) is rapidly growing in Europe and all over the world. Batteries of EVs not only represent their fuel tanks but also hold a big potential of energy storage for our whole electrical system.

Whenever an EV is plugged to a charging station this flexibility potential could be exploited in two respects

Smart-Charging
The charging process is controlled in a way that the EV is charged in times of favourable grid or market conditions (such as a surplus in solar energy generation) and stopped during unfavourable conditions (such as local grid congestions).

Bidirectional Charging
On top of smart charging, this allows to feed back energy from the EV’s battery to the electricity grid. In this way, an EV becomes not only a flexible load but even a true energy storage! This concept is also referred to as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G).
Whenever an EV is plugged to a charging station this flexibility potential could be exploited in two respects

Smart-charging
The charging process is controlled in a way that the EV is charged in times of favourable grid or market conditions (such as a surplus in solar energy generation) and stopped during unfavourable conditions (such as local grid congestions).

Bidirectional Charging
On top of smart charging, this allows to feed back energy from the EV’s battery to the electricity grid. In this way, an EV becomes not only a flexible load but even a true energy storage! This concept is also referred to as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G).
To unleash the potential of EVs as flexible energy storage in a cost-efficient way, GAMES focuses on electric shared vehicle fleets as the key target group.
This includes commercial or municipal car-sharing fleets and also corporate fleets, which are shared among co-workers for business travel. These fleets have common booking and management platforms and therefore can be easily integrated into an aggregated pool of flexibilities, such as virtual power plants.
We investigate three main use cases for exploiting the flexibility of EVs:
As EVs are charged in various points in the distribution grid, they have a key advantage to solve grid congestions in the low voltage grid.
Local PV generation can be coupled with decentral storage in EVs to increase self-sufficiency of energy communities. This can be implemented through local peer-to-peer markets.
Energy suppliers can use EVs of their customers to balance their generation portfolio and reduce imbalance costs.
To unleash the potential of EVs as flexible energy storage in a cost-efficient way, GAMES focuses on electric shared vehicle fleets as the key target group.
This includes commercial or municipal car-sharing fleets and also corporate fleets, which are shared among co-workers for business travel. These fleets have common booking and management platforms and therefore can be easily integrated into an aggregated pool of flexibilities, such as virtual power plants.
We investigate three main use cases for exploiting the flexibility of EVs:
As EVs are charged in various points in the distribution grid, they have a key advantage to solve grid congestions in the low voltage grid.
Local PV generation can be coupled with decentral storage in EVs to increase self-sufficiency of energy communities. This can be implemented through local peer-to-peer markets.
Energy suppliers can use EVs of their customers to balance their generation portfolio and reduce imbalance costs.

Technology context
The successful integration of aggregated EV batteries in the energy system requires an intelligent platform, which is able to forecast mobility needs and to control the charging process of big fleets in an optimal way. GAMES will deliver a proof-of-concept of such a digital interface that represents the electricity grid, flexibility needs and the users’ mobility patterns.

Business context
The business case of EVs delivering flexibility is still unclear. Therefore, GAMES will analyse the potential revenues through an optimal dispatch approach and compare the expected costs to other flexibility resources. As a result, valid business models and recommendations for fleet managers will be compiled in the GAMES Industry Whitepaper.

Social context
The main purpose of EVs of course still is mobility. Hence, concepts for exploiting the flexibility of EVs will be only successful if the users are carefully considered. Therefore, GAMES will conduct an in-depth study on the user’s needs and preferences with regards to shared mobility and publish the findings in a report on shared mobility user characteristics.

Technology context
The successful integration of aggregated EV batteries in the energy system requires an intelligent platform, which is able to forecast mobility needs and to control the charging process of big fleets in an optimal way. GAMES will deliver a proof-of-concept of such a digital interface that represents the electricity grid, flexibility needs and the users’ mobility patterns.

Business context
The business case of EVs delivering flexibility is still unclear. Therefore, GAMES will analyse the potential revenues through an optimal dispatch approach and compare the expected costs to other flexibility resources. As a result, valid business models and recommendations for fleet managers will be compiled in the GAMES Industry Whitepaper.

Social context
The main purpose of EVs of course still is mobility. Hence, concepts for exploiting the flexibility of EVs will be only successful if the users are carefully considered. Therefore, GAMES will conduct an in-depth study on the user’s needs and preferences with regards to shared mobility and publish the findings in a report on shared mobility user characteristics.
GET INVOLVED!
The team of the GAMES project strongly aims to get in touch with users, industry stakeholders and scientific peers to discuss and refine the GAMES approach.
Energy sharing with benefits
Idea competition: Nov. 2022 - Feb. 2023
E-vehicles require a lot of energy, but can also make a valuable contribution to balancing the power grid. In recent months, Salzburg Research has invited people to submit ideas for smart energy sharing and new business models in an open innovation ideas competition. The best ideas were awarded prizes.
Stakeholder forum
For industry stakeholders and scientific peers, a stakeholder forum is launchend in the frame of the GAMES project. If you are interested to participate in our stakeholder process, feel free to contact us anytime at:

GET INVOLVED!
The team of the GAMES project strongly aims to get in touch with users, industry stakeholders and scientific peers to discuss and refine the GAMES approach.
Energy sharing with benefits
Idea competition: Nov. 2022 - Feb. 2023
E-vehicles require a lot of energy, but can also make a valuable contribution to balancing the power grid. In recent months, Salzburg Research has invited people to submit ideas for smart energy sharing and new business models in an open innovation ideas competition. The best ideas were awarded prizes.
Stakeholder forum
For industry stakeholders and scientific peers, a stakeholder forum is launchend in the frame of the GAMES project. If you are interested to participate in our stakeholder process, feel free to contact us anytime!
Publications
This policy brief analyses the status quo on policy, market and technology framework conditions for smart and bidirectional charging of electric vehicles (EV). Also, key recommendations for all kinds of decision makers are formulated, aiming at overcoming existing barriers.
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Contact

Project coordination
Jalomi Maayan Tardif
Guntram Preßmair

This project has been funded by partners of the ERA-Net Smart Energy Systems and Mission Innovation through the Joint Call 2020. As such, this project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 883973.