Batteries on wheels: the role of battery electric cars in the EU power system and beyond

Electric vehicles can save France, Italy, Spain, and the UK between €500 million and €1.3 billion each a year as they switch to renewable energy, a new study has found. Smart charging – or charging electric cars at the best time of day for the grid – will help avoid demand peaks and provide extra storage when there is renewable electricity oversupply. This will reduce the need to build additional grid storage and power plants, according to researchers Element Energy, which analysed electric vehicle uptake up to 2040.