The AHEAD (AI-informed Holistic Electric Vehicles Integration Approaches for Distribution Grids) project will create a simulation environment capable of predicting the most convenient location to place the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and optimise both the usage of the power grid resources, and the charging stations located in urban and rural areas. This simulation environment will exploit the unique features of currently available AI models and include two layers: the spatial mapping one (placing the chargers where the people need them to be), and the power grid one (placing the chargers where the grid can support them). Innovative smart charging algorithms will be designed and tested in the model, to minimise the impact of EV charging pools on the network, and ensure the consumers have economic benefits. Moreover, these smart charging algorithms will be tested in three demonstration sites, dedicated to assessing the technical and economic feasibility of smart charging light and heavy-duty EVs, and boats. To this end, AHEAD gathered relevant partners from all the EV value-chain: technology providers who want to test their equipment in the real world, grid operators, who want to optimise the usage of the grid resources and mitigate the EV charging impact, and research institutions, who aim at advancing the knowledge on the topic and producing value for society. Particular attention is going to be placed on the user experience and cybersecurity part of the demonstrators, with specific partners who focus their efforts on understanding how to minimize the impact of smart charging on the user experience and on creating a model to represent cyber-attacks on the chargers to suggest efficient defensive mechanisms for system protection.

SCALE will enable and facilitate the mass deployment of electric vehicles and the accompanying smart charging infrastructure. To do so, SCALE will systematically assess customer expectations, identifying EV-users’ preferences, existing obstacles and potential incentives to charge smartly. By this, SCALE ensures co-creation and -optimisation, preparing for an open smart charging & V2X eco-system that equally benefits users, cities & regions, businesses, and society at large. SCALE brings together leading existing research & innovation initiatives and smart charging demonstration testbeds from across Europe forming a unique knowledge & collaboration platform. The consortium builds upon existing technologies, standards, and protocols as much as possible and focuses on research and developments of the missing and/or incomplete elements and links. The 29 project partners and associated organisations have been carefully selected and have all the necessary scientific, practical, and technical expertise to develop, test & validate and exploit smart charging & V2X solutions. Partners cover the entire value chain and comprise of leading European OEMs, DSO/ TSOs, CPOs, e-mobility service providers, public authorities, research & knowledge partners, EV user associations and European networks & multipliers. Multiple SCALE consortium partners are directly involved in EC’s European Alternative Fuels Observatory & other important European e-mobility initiatives (STF, Clean Bus Europe). SCALE creates a critical mass to develop the technological, regulatory, organisational and legal readiness that is needed for a mass-market. SCALE will initiate a Joint European Procurement for V2X chargers based on open standards, run by 5 European cities. The Open V2X Alliance ensures SCALE’s legacy during and after the project’s lifetime.