Fuuse secures £200,000 grant to solve EV fleet energy use concerns

Lancaster-based EV charge point management platform Fuuse has secured a £200,000 grant to explore ways in which the increasing numbers of electric vehicle fleets can be charged with minimal disruption to the National Grid.

Fuuse is working in conjunction with charging hardware specialist TPS (Turbo Power Systems), fleet electrification specialists Gridicity and the PNDC (Power Network Distribution centre) based at the University of Strathclyde.

Together they will seek to develop an end-to-end V2X (vehicle-to-everything) DC microgrid solution for fleets in order to provide support for the National Grid as EV uptake continues to accelerate putting rising pressures on energy demand.

The grant funding comes as part of the government’s V2X innovation programme, part of a wider Flexible Innovation Programme to deliver a range of smart energy applications.

The project, already underway, explores the efficient distribution of energy between EV batteries and other site components such as buildings, other vehicles, or local generation sources such as solar panels and wind turbines.

Dr Will Maden, COO of Fuuse (pictured), said: "As momentum for EV uptake accelerates and more pressure mounts on fleets to make the transition, we must focus our efforts on resilience, for not only organisation sites, but the wider Grid. We must enable fleets to transition as responsibly and efficiently as possible.

"This project is another step toward organisations becoming self-sufficient when it comes to their site energy infrastructure. Fleets who can harness and redistribute their EV battery energy where it is most needed will not only reap operational and financial rewards but become a key player to providing the support the UK will need in its EV rollout goals.”

Alicia Blatiak, CEO and founder of Gridicity, added: “Knowing when EV charging demand and other building demand is expected allows for intelligent microgrid-like capabilities on the sites of fleet customers for the day ahead. The V2X solution we are working on as a consortium will be of benefit to customer sites, making the most of energy tariffs, local energy generation and offering grid services. We are pooling expertise to operationalise the potential of V2X technology.”