Joint EU-US centres to promote common standards for electric vehicles and smart grids

The first of two linked centres designed to promote common standards in electric mobility and smart grids on both sides of the Atlantic was inaugurated in July near Chicago. Converging standards and interoperability between smart grids and electric vehicles will allow for deeper penetration of renewable energies in electricity systems, facilitating the way to a low-carbon economy. Technology harmonisation will drive product and service innovation in the world's two largest economies and could prove instrumental in establishing global standards for electric mobility.

The launch of the Interoperability Centre for electric vehicles and smart grids follows 18 months of work to begin implementing a 2011 agreement for closer co-operation between the Joint Research Centre, the European Commission's in-house science service, and the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Interoperability Centre is hosted at DOE's Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. The second Centre will be opened in the EU in 2014, at the JRC sites in Petten, the Netherlands, and in Ispra, Italy.

The interaction between smart grids – intelligent electricity systems – and electric vehicles will ensure economically efficient, sustainable power systems with low losses and high security of supply and safety. Smart grids, as upgraded electricity networks, will provide two-way digital communication between supplier and consumer, which will predict and respond to the actions of all users connected to the grid. Interoperability between smart grids and electric vehicles is therefore paramount in achieving better energy efficiency, improved air quality in cities and reduced dependence on fossil fuels in order to move towards a low-carbon economy.

The work of the two centres focuses on interoperability between electric vehicles, smart grids and recharging systems, as well as inter-laboratory comparisons. They also will provide testing facilities for electric vehicles, batteries and related supply equipment, and promote closer ties between the EU and US vehicle industries on electric vehicle interoperability.