Interactive charging
The INteractive CHarging (INCH) project will introduce the next-generation charging station for electric vehicles (EVs), named Etrel Smartcharger. It will enable charging of an increasing number of EVs in a smart and sustainable manner, which is the only way to optimise energy use in transport and reduce related greenhouse gas emissions. In the long term, it will not be possible to use EVs without using solutions such as the Smartcharger. The Smartcharger is a new version of Etrel's current product generation, designed as a low-voltage AC charging station for use at homes, offices, and car parks. It will bring down the cost of smart charging infrastructure deployment where it matters the most (more than 90 % of charging takes place at home or at work). At the same time, it will bring the charging network to a new level, allowing each and every connected car to adjust its consumption to the needs of the energy grid. 
Market adoption of the Smartcharger will be driven mostly by EV drivers who require an interactive solution that can automatically charge their car in the desired time without overloading the circuit. The Smartcharger will allow each EV user to save 140 EUR per year in charging costs and will return the investment in 3-4 years, roughly a third of its lifetime. Users will be able to share control over their charging with power companies in exchange for financial compensation. This will give the power companies an option to control EV charging load, in order to reduce it in time of peak demand or use the batteries as a reservoir for electricity from renewable sources at times of high production. With an additional investment of 1.322.000 EUR, an estimated 67M EUR of profits and 65 new jobs within the company are expected over the course of 10 years after the end of the project. The INCH project will also present an enabling technology for the integration of EV charging into European smart grids and for the provision of new services in electromobility.