Milton Keynes EV owners to trial smart charge systems

Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicle owners in Milton Keynes are being invited to take part in technology trials to manage the peaks of electricity use from home EV charging.

 EV drivers can apply to trial domestic ‘smart’ chargers; vehicle to grid (V2G) chargers; home battery storage; and charging using home solar PV (photovoltaic) systems. Participants will be given the option to keep the equipment at the end of the project for a fee.

The ‘domestic energy balancing EV charging project’ is being delivered by CrowdCharge on behalf of Milton Keynes Council, with Flexitricity as the energy demand response partner.

CrowdCharge produces a digital platform, accessed via an app, to manage multiple EV chargers.

The project partners say the trials will assist electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and the wider electricity industry manage the peaks in electricity demand caused by EV charging.

To take part in the V2G element of the trial, participants must have a Nissan EV with a battery capacity of at least 30kWh or more. 

Participants will receive an incentive of £10 per month, assuming minimum participation parameters are met, such as charging their EV for a full cycle ten times a month over the 12-month trial duration.

They will also be able to keep the technologies at the end of the trial for ownership transfer fees of £100 for the smart charger, £250 for the V2G charger, and £250 for the stationary battery storage device.

Councillor Martin Gowans, Milton Keynes Council’s cabinet member for planning and transport, said: “The project is one of four pioneering trials that will place Milton Keynes at the forefront of developments in electric vehicle charging technology.” 

All the trials are part of the city’s Go Ultra Low programme funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.