Skip to main content

The Dutch revolution in smart EV charging

By turning itself into one huge Living Lab for Smart Charging of electric vehicles, the Netherlands aims to become the international frontrunner for smart charging EVs, using them to store peak solar and wind power production. Already 325 municipalities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague, have joined the Dutch Living Lab Smart Charging project, representing 80 per cent of all public charging stations. It is also supported by the Dutch government and has been joined by some The New Motion
October 18, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
By turning itself into one huge Living Lab for Smart Charging of electric vehicles, the Netherlands aims to become the international frontrunner for smart charging EVs, using them to store peak solar and wind power production. Already 325 municipalities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague, have joined the Dutch Living Lab Smart Charging project, representing 80 per cent of all public charging stations. It is also supported by the Dutch government and has been joined by some The New Motion and EV-Box EV charging companies.

The Living Lab Smart Charging is an open platform where small and large companies, universities, local and regional governments and grid operators cooperate on a three step program.

Step 1 is to make as many charging stations as possible ready for Smart Charging. An upgrade operation is now taking place across the country to ensure existing charging stations will be technically able to facilitate smart charging. All new stations are already smart charging ready.

Step 2 uses those stations for smart charging research and testing, such as the app by Jedlix which allows users to earn money by using technology to charge a car in the middle of the night when the wind is still producing power but there is little demand for the power. In Utrecht, Renault is testing 'vehicle to grid' charging, using an electric car with solar panels as storage to put power back into the grid when the sun goes down.

Step 3 puts all the innovation, tests and research findings into international standards, with the ultimate goal of all electric cars driving on solar and wind power.

Related Content

  • Øresund bridges the front line for border crossing traffic
    September 15, 2016
    Timothy Compston considers the challenges faced by the operators of the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden, the largest structure of its kind across Europe. In light of the concerns about the ongoing security threat and the unprecedented flow of migrants, many of the countries that make up the Schengen Area in Europe have re-introduced border controls. For its part, Sweden has rolled out ID checks for train, bus and ferry passengers from Denmark placing the landmark Øresund Bridge very much on the fr
  • Green requirements of traffic video systems
    February 2, 2012
    Traficon's Head of Product and Application Management Robin Collaert offers up a discussion of the likely future green requirements of traffic video systems. At the most basic levels, ITS has the potential to significantly reduce the amounts of time which vehicles spend waiting at intersections, and less time spent waiting means less in the way of vehicular emissions. All of that will hardly come as news to most laypeople, let alone transport professionals. However, the reality is that even today too many r
  • Ertico is looking east: here’s why
    March 3, 2020
    The first Central Eastern Congress on ITS is to be held in Russia in September. Jacob Bangsgaard, CEO of Ertico – ITS Europe, tells Adam Hill why the event is necessary – and what visitors can expect
  • Funding for EV development in Brazil
    April 16, 2012
    The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) has announced financing for a project by WEG electric motors to develop technology for electric vehicles (EVs). The company will receive US$4.72 million from the Bank, representing 62.3 per cent of the total investment of $7.55 million.