Living Lab

Neverflat

Smart charging infrastructure for a sustainable energy system

We redefine electric vehicle charging through smart, low-cost bidirectional solutions.

  • 2024 - 2027
  • In progress
  • International
  • Funding: Horizon Europe

What the Neverfalt project is

Neverflat is a European project under the Horizon programme that redefines the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles through bidirectional (V2G), smart, low-cost systems, integrated with local renewable energy networks.

Coordinated by the University of Aarhus (Denmark), it has the Euskadi Technology Park on the Vitoria-Gasteiz Campus as one of its main pilot environments.

The challenge: to connect mobility and energy

The electrification of transport faces high costs, poor availability of charging points and lack of interoperability.

  • High cost of infrastructure

    The roll-out of charging points calls for high investments, especially in environments where demand is still limited or uncertain

  • Limited availability of charging points

    The lack of accessible, well-distributed infrastructures causes frictions in the use of electric vehicles and slows down their take-up

  • Lack of interoperability

    Recharging and energy management systems are not always connected to one another, making their integration and efficient use hard

  • Disconnect between mobility and the energy system

    Charging infrastructure is not fully integrated with the electrical network, which limits the optimisation of energy consumption and flexibility

  • Inefficient demand management

    Electric vehicle charging is not optimised in terms of energy availability, leading to peaks of consumption and lower efficiency

Project focus

Neverflat meets these challenges by connecting mobility and energy through smart, efficient solutions:

  • Bidirectional smart chargers (V2G).
  • Micronetworks with renewable integration.
  • Energy management systems.

This approach makes it possible to activate new energy models and optimise the use of infrastructure in a range of environments:

  • We cut the costs and complexity of rolling out infrastructure
  • We turn vehicles into energy assets integrated into the electric system
  • We improve energy efficiency and demand management
  • We facilitate models that can be replicated in cities, businesses and regions

Aims of the project

Neverflat seeks to transform electric vehicle charging infrastructure through more efficient, accessible and connected solutions.

  • 1

    Designing a new charging infrastructure

  • 2

    Optimising energy management

  • 3

    Driving the take-up of electric vehicles

  • 4

    Developing new business models

  • 5

    Large-scale validation throughout Europe

Key indicators to measure the impact of the project on efficiency, cost and take-up

  • Increase in take-up of electric vehicles

    Measurement of the use and acceptance of charging infrastructure by users and fleets

  • Reduction in cost per charging point

    Optimisation of design and installation to make the infrastructure more accessible and scalable

  • Boosting energy efficiency

    Optimising energy consumption and management in charging processes

  • Demand management capacity

    Adapting charging to energy availability to avoid peaks and boost the stability of the system

  • Validation in different environments

    Testing the model in urban, business and European contexts to ensure it can be replicated

  • Scalability of the model

    Ability to replicate the solution in other regions and operational contexts

The solution: a new charging infrastructure

A smart, bidirectional model, connected to the energy system.

Characteristics:

  • Bidirectional chargers (V2G)

  • Integration with renewable energies

  • Interoperable systems

  • Smart demand management

  • Adaptable to different environments

Components:

  • Multimodal charging station with micronetwork

  • 22 kW V2L chargers

  • Integrated photovoltaic panels

  • Energy management platform

  • Infrastructure planning system

Timeline and milestones

Key phases in the design, validation and scaling of the Neverflat solution.

  1. 2024

    DESIGN AND PLANNING

    • Definition of the pilot scheme
    • Design of the solution
    • Selection of the pilot environment
  2. 2025

    DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

    • Technological development
    • Energy integration
    • Deployment of the infrastructure
  3. 2026

    VALIDATION IN REAL ENVIRONMENT

    • Starting up the pilot scheme
    • Monitoring and analysis
    • Optimisation of the system
  4. 2027

    SCALING AND TRANSFER

    • Assessment of results
    • Validation of replicable models
    • Transfer to the market

Results of the project

The pilot scheme has allowed solutions to be validated under real conditions, gaining key learnings to improve the design, implementation and scalability of charging infrastructure.

  • 4 Lines of validation (charging, energy and demand management)
  • 1 Pilot scheme under way in a real intensive-use environment
  • 5+ Stakeholders involved (technological, industrial and research)
  • 4000+ Potential users in the pilot environment

Actors involved

We are part of innovation networks that make it possible to connect the ecosystem with initiatives on a national and international scale.

Funding

Project funded by the European Union within Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement No. 101192973).

Implementation period: 2024 – 2027