Smart charging
Electric cars are no longer a rare sight on European roads. This is the result of new energy and environmental guidelines moving vehicle development in this direction. However, a greater number of intelligent charging points will be needed in the future if electric vehicles are to be used effortlessly in everyday life. Although intelligent charging services for electric cars are now becoming more common, their benefits over regular charging stations are not always clear. Why do charging stations need to be intelligent?
“Let’s think about car charging at home, for instance. If all electric car users return home from work at 5 pm and plug their vehicles into the national grid, the grid will not be able to handle the load. Therefore, it’s important to divide the charging schedule into time windows,” explains Kristian Heimonen, CEO of Comsel System.
As a response to this, Comsel develops smart charging systems, known as EVSE’s (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), that allow for effortless and safe charging of electric vehicles. Smart charging refers to a charging system that includes a telecommunication link between the vehicle and the charger, and a connection between the charger and the charging service provider. Smart charging sets the charging of an electric car to take place at a time of day when the usage of electricity is most efficient both for the driver and for the electrical grid.
“As the driver saves money, the environment and the electrical grid also benefit. If the charging takes place when the supply, demand and transmission capacity of electricity is in balance, electric cars can also be used to balance the electrical grid,” says Heimonen.
Comsel smart charging is part of a datahub, which will contain information that can be used to provide consumers with new and useful services. One such service is the Comsel System charging app. The drivers can use the app to discover remotely whether a public charging point is free and reserve it for themselves. It is also possible to monitor the progress of the charging via the app and, last but not least, the users can conveniently pay for the charging via the app.
“Improving electric car charging is just one of the many ways that our measurement technology can be utilised. Comsel smart metering creates more intelligent ways to use electricity, which benefits us all,” Heimonen summarises.
