On November 24 and 25th, leaders from the mobility, energy and policy sectors met in Utrecht for the SCALE project final event, concluding that Europe risks delaying mass deployment of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology unless regulatory gaps are urgently addressed.
SCALE project is a Horizon Europe project advancing smart charging infrastructure and the mass deployment of electric vehicles (EVs). Within SCALE, a strong consortium of 29 partners has tested and deployed smart and bidirectional charging solutions across Europe. Elaad is part of the SCALE consortium and was even the initiator.
The project found strong consumer openness to smart charging and V2G—provided systems are reliable, transparent and easy to use. SCALE also developed open-standards-based system architecture, tender requirements for cities, and extensive technical testing to support future business models.
Despite early market steps from OEMs such as Hyundai, Polestar and Renault, experts at the SCALE final event cautioned that progress could stall without harmonised rules ensuring interoperability, clear grid responsibilities, smart metering support and robust cybersecurity.
The consortium issued a clear call to EU policymakers: anchor open standards in legislation, clarify grid roles, eliminate double taxation on energy flows, and set a cybersecurity baseline to enable cities and operators to scale V2X today.
At the SCALE final event, Utrecht showed how EVs could serve as decentralised “batteries on wheels” to ease grid congestion. Still, speakers emphasised that Europe-wide progress hinges on further testing, a larger fleet of V2G-ready vehicles and stronger coordination.
The SCALE conference followed just days after V2G Leaders Europe, hosted by the European Commission, the Sustainable Transport Forum and the IEA’s Task 53. The event also featured SCALE’s results and a joint workshop with the V2X Cluster, a group of eight Horizon Europe projects (€80 million) piloting smart and bidirectional charging across 20 European countries.
ElaadNL is involved in the SCALE Horizon Europe project as a technical expert, testing partner and contributor to European standards. Through its testlab and real-world pilot locations, ElaadNL supports the development and validation of scalable smart charging and V2G solutions. As part of the V2X Cluster, ElaadNL helps connect Dutch innovation with wider European efforts, sharing insights on interoperability, grid integration and power quality. This makes ElaadNL an important link between research, practical implementation and the future of a flexible, Europe-wide EV charging ecosystem.
SCALE is a three-year project (2022-2025) co-funded by the new Horizon Europe Programme. Visit their website to read the full press release.