The project will develop an innovative smart EV charging hub (SEVHub) integrated within a smart microgrid which can be installed in residential communities for households without off-street parking, commercial communities for public, businesses and organisations for employees and visitors, and organisations for fleet charging (such as hospital ambulances and supermarket delivery vehicles), etc.

The SEVHub comprises a central EV charging cabinet, which can be installed in a container or plant room housing the smart microgrid equipment, a few (typically three) EV charging stations, each with a QR code for those with smartphone APP to use, and a central card payment station for those without smartphone APP to use. This makes SEVHub a low-cost solution.

The SEVHub within the smart microgrid enables controlled EV charging directly by solar PV power and/or battery energy, which is charged by surplus solar PV power and/or off-peak low-cost grid electricity, enhances owner's/operator's economic benefits, whilst providing low-cost charging for users and supporting the electricity grid.

The project will develop cloud back office for operators to run the SEVHub, and smartphone APP for users to instruct EV charging and payment. The cloud's scalability and flexible storage capacity will facilitate performance analysis, AI and machine/deep learning can be run on the cloud to provide business insights and increase competitiveness.

The project will conduct market research to determine suitable system specifications, identify potential installation sites, including residential and commercial communities, businesses and public organisations, consult the public, stakeholders and authorities, so that the solution is fit for purpose.

The project will have a major impact on ZEV because the innovation will enable EV charging directly from solar PV and off-peak grid power at the highest power efficiency and balance the electricity grid and improve the grid operation efficiency.

The project will play a key role in facilitating road transport electrification and smart microgrid implementation, and have very positive impact on climate change and environmental sustainability through carbon emission reduction and air quality improvement.

The project will generate and safeguard jobs and benefit the UK economy, have major impact on the electricity grid infrastructure planning and operation, facilitate time-of-use electricity tariff.

The project brings together UK's leading expertise in smart EV charging and smart energy management from both industry and academic sectors and will generate first-hand education materials for universities and colleges students to further facilitate the interest in and uptake of both ZEV and smart microgrid system solutions.