California-based AutoGrid is using artificial intelligence (AI) to launch electric vehicle (EV) services that enable cleaner, more reliable and cost-effective grid operations.

The virtual power plant (VPP) and distributed energy resource management (DERM) provider has launched AutoGrid Flex EV built on its existing Flex platform. This leverages the company’s more than ten years of experience harnessing EVs and other distributed energy resources (DERs), and uses a broad network of automotive, charging and device providers.

With EV sales projected to exceed half of total auto sales by 2030, utilities are facing both a rapid rise in electricity demand and an opportunity to tap flexible capacity. Today’s power providers are seeking EV charging insights, demand forecasting, the ability to shape load and manage demand peaks, and a seamless customer experience.

AutoGrid believes Flex EV is the industry’s most complete offering to help utilities survive and thrive in the EV era, and across the DER spectrum. It includes:

• Multi-channel marketing to scale customer recruitment
• Prosumer engagement via AutoGrid’s consumer portal for streamlined customer enrolment, impact tracking and incentives
• Access to assets (EV telematics and EV charging) including residential, workplace, multifamily and fleet charging
• Analytics dashboards to monitor and visualise charging behaviour across a utility’s territory
• Experience in managed charging, optimisation and load shifting at scale
• Feeder and transformer-based visualisation, optimisation and dispatch
• Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging capabilities

AutoGrid has deployed a previous version of its Flex EV at scale at multiple utilities across North America and globally, leveraging an ecosystem of EV and EVSE vendors including Chargepoint, Wallbox and Swtch Energy.

“Through our power response programme, AutoGrid empowers consumers to actively participate in making the grid more resilient, reliable and sustainable,” said Joanne O’Neill, Clean Power Alliance’s director of customer programmes. “Its capabilities enable service optimisation and reduce usage when there is strain on the grid, benefiting our customers and the environment. In addition, as part of AutoGrid Flex, this promises a single platform to manage all of our distributed energy resource programmes, leveraging thermostats, battery storage, electric vehicles and behavioural changes to help our residential and commercial customers reduce their electricity usage.”

Ruben Llanes, AutoGrid CEO, added: “More than ten years ago, the first DER that AutoGrid connected was an EV charger, and we’ve been leading in this space ever since. Utilities need to plan for EV penetration, forecast and shape load, and harness the power of this mobile storage capacity and V2G when and where it’s needed most.”

The announcement of AutoGrid’s Flex EV continues parent company Schneider Electric’s commitment to accelerating the new energy landscape, with offerings that enable a more resilient and flexible grid. It builds on Schneider Electric’s recent launch of Schneider Home integrated home energy management. In combination, AutoGrid’s support for utilities and Schneider Electric’s offerings for utility customers represent a step in the company’s growing prosumer to grid portfolio.

AutoGrid’s AI-driven software makes electric vehicles, batteries, roof-top solar, utility-scale wind and other DERs smarter. By enabling prediction, optimisation and real-time control of millions of energy assets, AutoGrid says it is making the vision of a decentralised, decarbonised and democratised new energy world a reality. With over a decade of pioneering experience across the globe, it offers fleet owners, energy-as-a-service companies, renewable project developers, utilities and electricity retailers the ability to build, own, operate and participate in intelligent and scalable VPPs. The Flex platform is managing over 6000MW of VPPs in 17 countries.