An R&D collaboration between Flexitricity, Flexisolar, Turbo Power Systems and Smart Power Systems has secured funding for a project to demonstrate a solar-powered car park supported by battery storage where motorists can charge their cars. Announced on 29 March, the Smart Hubs II project will also utilise vehicle-to-grid technology to enable electric cars and other vehicles to deliver electricity back to the grid.
The consortium is looking for six sites to begin the trial later this year, with 150 vehicles set to be allowed to charge across the different locations.
Dr Alastair Martin, chief strategy officer at Edinburgh-based electrical engineering company Flexitricity, said: “Having the ability to recharge in a short time using a grid friendly infrastructure will have a huge impact on the electric vehicles market – it really is a question about how quickly we can deliver this capability.”