Turning EV fleets into grid assets

In 2022, the SCALE project was launched as part of the Horizon2020 call for projects from the European Commission, with a clear goal: to turn EV fleets into grid assets and prepare for large-scale deployment! Together with We Drive Solar, MyWheels, Last Mile Solutions, and Enervalis, we identified opportunities and obstacles, and successfully created a test environment in which around 115 vehicles simultaneously responded to a mock aFRR activation signal.

The test we conducted met all response time requirements, and the scope of the trial reached 115 vehicles, achieving an activation of 700 kWh. This impressive outcome demonstrates the vast potential of using EV fleets to support grid balancing. It confirms that the EV sector can and will play a meaningful role in the future of energy systems.

We’re now sharing the outcomes of this test to pave the way for a easier, cheaper and faster integration of EVs into the balancing market. It’s a true win-win: accelerating the energy transition, increasing aggregator revenues, and ultimately having a positive effect on end-user tariffs.

At Equigy, we believe in the potential of Electric Vehicles to become an essential type of assets to balance the grid – especially if bidirectional vehicles become mainstream. We proved this through our achievements in SCALE. On to the next steps!’ said Raphael Sahakian, Senior Business Consultant at Equigy.

1. Use smarter data reporting to reduce network load
   Implement delta monitoring, where data is only sent when meaningful changes in charging power occur. This reduces communication traffic while keeping data accurate, essential for scaling EV participation without overwhelming networks.
2. Improve baseline calculations to prevent false alarms
   Refine how baseline energy use is calculated to avoid errors caused by sudden data spikes. More frequent updates (e.g., every 4seconds) or threshold-based reporting can prevent valid grid activations from being mistakenly rejected.
3. Adopt faster, cost-effective communication technologies
   Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and aggregators should invest in cost-effective communication solutions such as 5G or edge computing to enable reliable, real-time signal transmission from thousands of EVs.
4. Update regulatory frameworks to welcome new market players
   Modernise grid rules to include EV fleet managers and other flexible actors. Flexible, innovation-friendly regulations will open markets while maintaining grid security.
5. Allow temporary data variations with post-event corrections
   Accept small, short-term deviations in reported data that can be corrected after the fact. This approach increases market access for EV fleets and is supported by emerging standards such as OCPP 2.0.1.
6. Enhance prequalification and forecasting models
   To unlock large-scale EV participation, TSOs need to refine their prequalification criteria and improve models that predict power delivery and detect baseline shifts.

Read more in the full whitepaper by SCALE
Download the PDF HERE