10087180PayLoad – Industrial Research to link Commercial Vehicle Smart EV Charging with Advanced Grid Demand AnalyticsClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThe UK and Switzerland are pioneers in decarbonising transport, which in the UK was responsible for ~24% of all carbon-equivalent (Co2e) emissions in 2020 (BEIS). Reaching net zero emissions by 2050 necessitates significant transport infrastructure changes, including a 20-fold increase in electric vehicle (EV) chargers (Deloitte, 2022). On a global scale, the transition to electric vehicles calls for an investment of approximately £240bn in EV charging, electricity production, and grid-balancing battery infrastructure (McKinsey,2022). This UK--Switzerland Bilateral: Collaborative R&D opportunity has encouraged project partners Aegis Energy, Innovum and AKTEK to develop a new initiative called 'PayLoad', to help address challenges facing investment into new public EV charging infrastructure. PayLoad seeks to unlock private investment for public commercial vehicle (CV) chargepoints by linking predicted electricity grid demand with chargepoint operator (CPO) control systems. CVs in the UK produce roughly 10% of the country's Co2e emissions (ElementEnergy,2023). With the UK's imminent bans on new fossil-fuel CVs, and the recently passed Swiss Net Zero 2050 law, the electrification of vans and HGVs is accelerating in both countries. Complete electrification of CVs in the UK could demand 182-246TWh of new energy (Haugen-et-al, 2022), an amount equivalent to two-thirds of the UK's entire electricity production in 2019\. Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned research has highlighted the importance of optimising energy storage solutions and charging facilities to prevent risks to the grid and to secure investment (Haugen-et-al, 2022). The challenges facing Switzerland are similar as it seeks to reduce reliance on nuclear energy while rapidly decarbonising its industry (IEA,2023). PayLoad responds to these challenges by introducing enablers of CV electrification for both CPOs and end-user haulage and logistics fleets, linking: * predicted grid-demand at public CV electric charging stations, with * advance pre-booking of CV charging slots, enabling * improved efficiency of automated CPO equipment and grid-balancing control systems. PayLoad benefits CV fleets and drivers, as well as EV infrastructure developers and investors. With a user-friendly app interface, PayLoad's development will empower CV fleet managers to pre-book chargepoint slots, ensuring access to charging even at peak times. And by leveraging historical data and vehicle telematics, PayLoad allows CPOs and grid stakeholders to analyse grid use and vehicle movement patterns, layered with actual pre-bookings, to forecast demand. This data-driven approach enables CPOs to evidence the business case to infrastructure investors, and to right-size chargepoint power requirements, ultimately optimizing energy consumption and reducing the costs and risks of grid overload.