The electric transition in mobility is now an inevitable destiny. It is only a matter of time. And of overcoming prejudices. Among the detractors of the electric car are those who believe it pollutes more than a "traditional" one (a claim already debunked). Or that, as electrification spreads, the energy needed to simultaneously charge a large number of electric vehicles will cause a grid blackout. Infrastructure is a central issue for e-mobility: as battery-powered cars become more widespread, a gradual upgrade of national grids is already anticipated — not a straightforward case of boosting the electricity network itself, but rather a smarter use of available resources.

Smart charging is already a reality

In this respect, Audi, a brand within the Volkswagen Group that has already made a clear pivot towards electric vehicles, is investing heavily in smart charging and grid integration. What does this mean? Not something abstract, or future projects whose guidelines exist only on the computers of the most forward-thinking engineers. Rather, it is a technology already present today on the brand's electric models (e-tron, e-tron Sportback and e-tron GT) which, thanks to the Audi e-tron charging system connect, makes it possible to manage peak loads on the public grid as effectively as possible.

Electric mobility calls for a paradigm shift

Switching to an electric car also means changing perspective and habits — often without any sacrifice. Starting with routine. Charging a car is not the same as filling up with petrol or diesel. It requires a minimum of planning and method. Including learning to make the most of the night, when energy costs less and the evening demand peak has subsided. Ideally, one would always know the best moment to connect the car to the grid. This is precisely where artificial intelligence can help enormously, taking over from the human and scheduling charging at the strategically optimal moment — both in terms of the grid's instantaneous load and based on the individual user's planned departure time.

An ideal solution for everyone

One possible solution is provided by tools such as the Smart Meter Gateway (SMGW). What is it? A device capable of connecting a private home with the energy supplier, while simultaneously providing detailed information on energy consumption. This data is then sent both to the Home energy management system (Hems) and to the Audi e-tron charging system connect — a solution already available, for example, on models such as the e-tron and e-tron Sportback.

This sophisticated information-sharing system ensures that the energy demand from various users is always kept under control. It thus becomes possible not only to decide when and where to deliver power (at the office or at home), but also how much to deliver based on the remaining available power — thereby averting the risk of overloads and offering another undeniable advantage: minimising energy tariffs. As in the already-mentioned case of night-time charging, charging during less critical periods brings down the cost of energy.

Personalised charging, common standards

In an era of tailored services, charging can only be shaped around each customer's needs — based on the car they drive, their arrival and departure times, their destination and other strictly personal factors. Moreover, as is already well known, electric cars can become energy storage hubs that, at certain stages, can feed surplus energy back into the grid — even before charging has begun.

An ideal scenario for those who choose electric mobility, though one that requires a condition: namely, that homes and energy suppliers use common technical standards. It is precisely in this direction that Audi's recent efforts are heading, through the EEBUS project — the aim of which is to promote a shared communication protocol — working to ensure that photovoltaic systems, charging infrastructure, electric vehicles and domestic climate-control systems are able to communicate with one another without interference.