Electric Nation Test System is up and running

The Electric Nation Test System has been commissioned at EA Technology’s offices in Capenhurst.

The Test System is a ‘living lab’ to test smart charging throughout the Electric Nation project to ensure the system works well for the trial participants – enabling EV drivers to make the journeys they want and at the same time avoiding overloading electricity networks at peak periods.

The Electric Nation test system up and running.

The test system will also allow the project to test smart charging with different types of EVs (hybrids and fully electric).

The system allows the project team to:

• Test the operation of demand control before roll-out to trial participants throughout the project
• Check the reliability of sending smart charging commands using broadband
• Trial the response of different makes and models of plug-in vehicles to changes in charging rates and pauses in charging

Electric Nation is engaging 500-700 electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the world’s largest EV trial. The trial will test smart charging solutions to facilitate EV uptake on local electricity networks.

Smart charging is being provided by two demand control service providers, who can control when and at what rate EVs can charge, e.g. reducing charging rate at peak electricity demand periods.

EV charging could overload electricity networks in late afternoon/early evening during winter. Smart charging would reduce and delay some EV charging to safeguard the network and spread charging over lower demand periods such as overnight.

Smart charging could help in avoiding the need to reinforce local electricity networks across the country as electric vehicle market share grows in the coming years.

Visitors to EA Technology’s offices in Capenhurst can use the Test System to charge their electric vehicles.