Skip to main content

Evolt smart chargers selected for major nationwide trial

Evolt, the Swarco Group’s eMobility brand, has been selected to provide its smart electric vehicle (EV) chargers for Electric Nation, a UK-wide trial that is seeking to better understand the demand and impact that ‘at-home charging’ places on the local power distribution networks.
November 7, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

Evolt, the 129 Swarco Group’s eMobility brand, has been selected to provide its smart electric vehicle (EV) chargers for Electric Nation, a UK-wide trial that is seeking to better understand the demand and impact that ‘at-home charging’ places on the local power distribution networks.

Greater demand is being placed on power networks as the take up of EVs widens, EV battery sizes increase, and charging times get faster. This demand is particularly noticeable when EVs in the same local network are charging simultaneously.

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 is providing its smart charging unit to half of the 500-700 members of the public that are being recruited for Electric Nation. Its units will be subsidised by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles 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.

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.

Related Content

  • April 4, 2019
    PTV to research effect of EVs on electricity network
    PTV Group is to model how transport networks can be integrated with future electricity network requirements as electric vehicle (EV) charge points are rolled out. It has joined a consortium, led by SP Energy Networks, which will look at ways of facilitating the increase in electricity demand which will be caused by the anticipated growth of EVs. “It is becoming increasingly important to understand the interaction between the take-up and demand for EVs and the capacity and supply within the electricity
  • November 23, 2017
    Mobility pricing offers new tools for managing mobility
    Mobility pricing is the best way of sustaining and enhancing mobility, argues Moving Forward Consulting’s Josef Czako. Mobility pricing (MP) is effectively the culmination of the ‘user pays’ principle and has been referred to in many policy discussions about electronic toll collection, road user charging (RUC), and pricing. MP not only reflects the ‘use more, pay more’ nature of RUC, it also takes account of the external cost of journeys including pollution, noise, the cost of congestion and accidents.
  • April 25, 2013
    Growth of smart parking initiatives
    New initiatives in smart parking have been announced in the US and Europe in recent months. Is the age of smarter parking finally with us? Jon Masters investigates. Smart parking comes to Manchester, reads the headline to a story posted on the UK city’s website towards the end of March this year. Sensors will be fixed to parking spaces to give drivers and authorities information on parking availability via mobile phone apps and other software, the story goes on to explain. Lower down the page, Manchester Ci
  • April 17, 2012
    IBM, Honda, and PG&E enable smarter charging for EVs
    IBM has teamed with American Honda Motor Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Company on a new pilot project that will allow communication between electric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid. This project will demonstrate and test an electric vehicle's ability to receive and respond to charge instructions based on the grid condition and the vehicle's battery state. With visibility into charging patterns, energy providers will have the ability to more effectively manage charging during peak hours and create c