NEWS - 2023/01/27

SELECTIVE: A New Shared Economy Project that Aims to Improve Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in Europe

The SELECTIVE project which kicked off on the 25th of January, aims to improve the electric vehicle infrastructure in Europe through a digital solution that will allow individuals to rent their electric vehicle charging points (EVCP) to other electric vehicle (EV) users.

The project is led by CARNET, co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union and developed in collaboration with SKODA AUTO, ChargeUp, PowerHUB, MOVEN, Eurecat, Madrid City Council, and the City of Prague. The goal of SELECTIVE is to increase the availability of electric charging points for EV users to promote decarbonization.

As the EV fleet is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, the current charging infrastructure is insufficient. Additionally, private chargers are an investment often underutilized. SELECTIVE aims to address these issues by creating a shared economy platform through an app. The app will allow hosts to rent out their EVCPs to guests, increasing the availability of charging points for EV users. This not only makes charging more convenient for EV drivers but also enables more efficient use of the existing charging infrastructure.

The project will implement two pilot tests in Madrid (Spain) and Prague (Czech Republic), to evaluate the technical performance of the solution, user experience and engagement, and the acceptance of the service by users. They will last until the end of October. Both tests will involve the renting of parking spots in either public parking or residential buildings in Madrid and Prague which will be equipped with Charge Amp’s Halo chargers.

The preliminary plan for the pilots is to involve individuals who will share each electric charger-equipped parking spot. They will establish fixed schedules in a shared calendar and the charger will only be accessible to them during these times. They will have access to their monthly consumption data and will be able to make payments directly through the app.

The team behind the project is optimistic that their efforts will contribute to increasing the accessibility and convenience of EV charging for all individuals, as well as reducing carbon emissions. This will be crucial to promote sustainable mobility and develop greener cities.