Moixa and Alfen have teamed up to deliver a new smart EV charging project unveiled today that will see the two energy technology firms trial the use of AI software to help electric car drivers reduce their home energy bills, cut carbon emissions, and boost flexibility for the electricity grid.

The partnership will see UK battery and software specialist Moixa link its GridShare AI system with Dutch firm Alfen's EV chargers, in a bid to "create personalised smart charging plans" based on household energy consumption patterns, locally-generated solar power, and optimisation for time-of-use home energy tariffs, they explained.

Smart EV charging and grid balancing technologies are expected to become increasingly important as greater levels of intermittent and varied sources of clean electricity are connected to the UK grid in the coming decades.

In addition to evaluating the impact of smart charging on EV owners' energy bills and emissions, the new trial will also test the ability of EV charging points to participate in grid-balancing services by ramping up and down charging speeds, the companies explained.

Moixa CEO Simon Daniel said teaming up the firm's intelligent home energy management software with Alfen's smart EV chargers could bolster the incentive for consumers to drive an electric vehicle, and also to provide grid management services while doing so.

"Smart charging will be essential for supporting the acceleration of EVs onto the UK market," he said. "Up to a fifth of new cars will be EVs by 2026 and up to 36 million 'batteries on wheels' are forecast to be on UK roads by 2040. Smart charging solutions like our collaboration with Alfen will help drive this rapid growth and ensure our power networks don't become overloaded."

The initial phase of the trial is set to see the AI software and EV chargers installed free-of-charge across a limited number of UK homes, with GridShare then aggregating and optimising smart EV charging based on factors such as driver behaviour, energy costs, and weather patterns.

Both firms are currently on the hunt for suitable participants to take part in the trial, they said.

Alex Earl, Alfen's UK country manager, said the project formed part of its mission to enable EV drivers "to be even more sustainable by charging at the cleanest and most cost-effective times".

"This technology could have huge implications if applied to all our customers - it will drive individual cost-savings and ultimately turbo-charge the growth of EVs," he added.