ELECTRIFIC · Project

Smart Charging and Fleet Tools That Cut EV Costs and Maximize Green Energy Use

transportTestedTRL 6

Imagine your electric car could talk to the power grid and say "charge me now, the wind is blowing and electricity is cheap" — that's basically what this project built. Right now, EVs just charge whenever you plug them in, which can overload the grid and waste money. ELECTRIFIC created smart charging stations and driver apps that coordinate when and how fast vehicles charge, so fleets spend less on electricity and use more renewable energy. They tested this across everything from e-bikes to e-buses in multiple European countries.

By the numbers

Consortium partners across the project

European countries involved in development and testing

Industry partners in the consortium

SMEs contributing to commercialization

EUR 6,152,118

EU funding for development and demonstration

64%

Industry ratio in the consortium

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Electric vehicle fleets waste money charging at peak electricity prices and miss opportunities to use cheaper renewable energy. Without coordination between vehicles, chargers, and the grid, fleets face higher costs, longer downtime, and faster battery degradation. Cities and utilities also struggle with grid overload as EV adoption grows.

The solution

What was built

The project built smart charging stations with dynamic rate control, a driver assistance app for optimized travel and charging planning, and fleet management software that minimizes charging costs while maximizing battery lifetime. A final integrated prototype was delivered along with reports from three rounds of real-world demonstrations.

Audience

Who needs this

Electric delivery fleet operators paying too much for chargingCity transit authorities electrifying their bus fleetsCharging network operators managing grid constraintsCar-sharing and ride-hailing companies with EV fleetsEnergy utilities planning for growing EV demand

Business applications

Who can put this to work

EV Fleet Management

mid-size

Target: Companies operating electric delivery vans, taxis, or car-sharing fleets

If you are a fleet operator dealing with unpredictable charging costs and vehicles sitting idle at chargers too long — this project developed smart fleet management tools that optimize when each vehicle charges based on real-time grid prices and renewable energy availability. The system was tested across 14 partner organizations in 7 countries, covering use cases from e-bikes to e-buses. It maximizes battery lifetime while minimizing charging costs across your entire fleet.

Energy and Utilities

enterprise

Target: Electricity providers and charging network operators

If you are an energy provider struggling to handle peak demand spikes caused by growing EV adoption — this project built smart charging stations that dynamically control charging rates to stay grid-friendly. The technology maximizes the use of renewables by shifting charging to times when green energy is abundant. With 9 industry partners involved in development, the solution was designed for real utility operations.

Urban Mobility and Public Transport

enterprise

Target: Municipal transit authorities and e-bus operators

If you are a city transit authority planning to electrify your bus fleet but worried about grid strain and charging logistics — this project developed coordination tools tested from e-bikes to e-buses. The system includes driver assistance services that help plan travel and charging around available capacity. It was demonstrated across 7 European countries, proving it works in different grid environments.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this smart charging system?

The project received EUR 6,152,118 in EU funding across 14 partners over 3 years to develop and test the full system. Actual licensing or deployment costs are not specified in the project data. Contact the coordinator for commercial terms.

Can this scale to a large fleet or charging network?

The system was designed to work across multiple vehicle types — from e-bikes to e-buses — and across fleet sizes from private owners to government services. It was tested in 7 countries with 14 consortium partners. Based on available project data, the architecture supports cross-border mobility scenarios.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license it?

The project was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) funded by the EU, meaning IP is typically retained by the consortium partners who developed it. With 9 industry partners and 4 SMEs in the consortium, multiple commercial entities hold rights to different components. Contact the coordinator Inetum Realdolmen Belgium for licensing discussions.

Has this been tested in real-world conditions?

Yes. The project produced 4 demo deliverables including a final prototype with integrated solution design, plus reports on preliminary, intermediate, and final experiment results. The demonstrations covered real vehicles and real grid conditions across multiple European sites.

How does this integrate with existing charging infrastructure?

The project developed new smart charging stations with dynamic rate control, but the fleet management and driver assistance tools are software layers designed to coordinate with charging infrastructure. Based on available project data, the system was built to work with existing grid connections while adding intelligent scheduling on top.

Does this comply with EU energy regulations?

The project was funded under the GV-8-2015 topic focused on electric vehicle integration. It was specifically designed to be grid-friendly and maximize renewable energy use, aligning with EU clean energy and transport directives. Specific regulatory certifications are not detailed in the available data.

What kind of support is available for deployment?

The project ended in August 2019, but the consortium included 9 industry partners positioned to commercialize different components. Inetum Realdolmen Belgium coordinated the project and is the primary contact for follow-up. The 4 SMEs in the consortium may offer implementation services.

Consortium

Who built it

The ELECTRIFIC consortium is strongly industry-driven with 9 out of 14 partners (64%) coming from the private sector, including 4 SMEs. This is a good sign for commercialization potential — the technology was built with business needs in mind, not just academic interest. The coordinator, Inetum Realdolmen Belgium, is a major IT services company (not an SME), providing enterprise-grade project management. With 4 universities supplying research depth and partners spread across 7 countries (AT, BE, CZ, DE, ES, FR, PT), the solution was tested in diverse European grid and regulatory environments. The mix of large IT/energy companies and agile SMEs suggests different components may be available from different partners depending on your specific need.

INETUM REALDOLMEN BELGIUMCoordinator · BE
INETUMthirdparty · FR
UNIVERSITAET MANNHEIMparticipant · DE
TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE DEGGENDORFparticipant · DE
ENERGISparticipant · BE
CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZEparticipant · CZ
UNIVERSITAT PASSAUparticipant · DE
AGENCIA DE ECOLOGIA URBANA DE BARCELONAparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Inetum Realdolmen Belgium — a major Belgian IT services company. Reachable through their corporate website or the CORDIS contact form.

Order a report on this consortium See INETUM REALDOLMEN BELGIUM profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how ELECTRIFIC's smart charging and fleet management tools could work for your operations? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your specific use case.

Order a report on this topic More in Transport & Mobility