EV growth driving OpenADR Alliance membership in Europe

Last year sales of electric vehicles (EVs) hit a major milestone, with around 10% of the market for the first time. This is being driven mainly by strong growth in the EU – second only to China – where sales of electric cars broke a new record, according to figures released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).

This is despite challenging times, post-pandemic, rising inflation and energy costs, and the war in Ukraine.

Strong sales in markets including Germany, the Netherlands and the Nordics means that these countries now have the highest percentage of new electric cars. While in the UK market they represented 17% of sales, passing sales of new diesel cars for the first time.

As EV markets continue to grow, however, access to fast, reliable and affordable charging is critical and something that drivers expect, whether at home, at work, at destinations or on the move.

Our own ecosystem is made up of a growing number of members and partners involved in developing and supporting a charging infrastructure that is fit for purpose, including utility companies looking to expand their networks and charging programs cost-effectively.

But also globally recognized brands like Ford Motor Company, which recently became the first automotive manufacturer to join the Board of Directors and as a member.

This is exciting news and shows just how important industry bodies like the OpenADR Alliance are in fostering innovation and collaboration among a wide and diverse range of organizations. We have seen record growth in membership in the last two years, with managed EV charging platforms the fastest growing component.

With around 200 members, more than 280 certified products, and 10 approved test facilities, the Alliance’s influence is expanding across Europe and the Middle East, with a 400% increase in members from the region, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Israel, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands.

We are also seeing OpenADR used more and more in EV charging use cases in Europe. Project ELBE is an incentive program for EV charging run by Stromnetz-Hamburg, Vattenfall, Hamburg Energie and ChargePoint in Germany, while also in Germany and Western Europe, E.ON is using it for load balancing for efficient EV charging management.

At Enlit Europe in November last year, we also announced a new partnership with Bulgarian electric vehicle charging management platform provider, AMPECO, enabling charge point operators to integrate their charging networks and manage energy loads on the grid. Operators can participate in cloud-based demand response events to generate extra revenue and explore new applications for dynamic pricing, renewable energy integration, and ancillary services.

This year will be an exciting next stage of the Alliance’s development, especially when we host our first European OpenADR++ User Conference in London. Aimed at electric utilities, energy service providers, policy makers and regulators, and control suppliers who share a common interest in standardized, automated demand response technology, this will be an important event in the calendar.

 For additional information see the press release at https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/103750/ford-becomes-first-automotive-manufacturer-to-join-openadr-alliance-as/.