New project to improve EV charging experience

The University of Sussex has joined a new £17m research project to improve charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs). 

Sales of EVs are increasing across Europe but drivers still regularly encounter problems in finding appropriate charging options.

The eCharge4Drivers project aims to improve the user experience at EV charging stations in order to increase the attractiveness and convenience of EVs. 

The project which is funded by EU Horizon 2020 involves the collaboration of 32 partners from 11 European countries.

The University of Sussex will work to apply optimisation and modelling techniques to identify the most effective ways to improve the EV charging experience.

The project, which runs until May 2024, will demonstrate additional convenient charging options within cities, a mobile charging service, charge points at lamp posts and networks of battery-swapping stations for LEVs.

Peter Fussey, industrial research Professor at the University of Sussex’s School of Engineering and Informatics, said: ‘We are very excited to be part of this project to increase the take up of electric vehicles.

‘Our work will draw from a wide variety of pilot projects across Europe to combine technical solutions with studies of user behaviour to address the challenge of improving the overall EV charging experience.’

Dr Angelos Amditis, eCharge4Drivers Project coordinator, also commented: ‘The eCharge4Drivers project brings together 32 of the most important European electromobility actors with the aim to develop appropriate solutions to significantly improve the overall user experience when charging electric vehicles, and thus promoting the wide adoption of electromobility, following the ambitions of the European Green Deal towards a zero-emission transport system.

‘The eCharge4Drivers project aims to substantially improve the EV charging experience within cities and for long journeys.