PEPP Project explores vehicle-to-grid technology in Gothenburg
The technology enabling parked electric vehicles to share energy with the grid has proven effective. Following successful trials with testcars at Volvo Cars in Gothenburg, the PEPP project is now moving into its next phase. “We’re shifting focus to users, business models, and new services,” says Jonas Eriksson, Director of Gothenburg Green City Zone.
The need for electricity is increasing as society adjusts to reduce the use of fossil energy. One way to balance the electricity grid is to use electricity from parked vehicles.
Public bidirectional charging pilots
A collaborative project is currently underway in Gothenburg, PEPP (Public EV Power Pilots), to investigate how so-called public bidirectional charging can contribute to this.
"By allowing parked cars to feed energy back into the grid, we can enhance local energy systems and make EVs both consumers and producers of electricity," says Lars Bern, Project Manager at Lindholmen Science Park, one of the project's partners.
The project includes two pilot trials: one involving test cars at Volvo Cars in Gothenburg. The second was launched on April 10 in a parking lot just outside Lindholmen Science Park. These studies will assess technical systems, user experience, and the potential value of V2G services.
“The tests in Gothenburg have shown that the technology with bidirectional charging works as it should and studies at Chalmers indicate that it can be of great benefit, says Lars Bern.
“At Lindholmen, we will investigate how to create services for electric car drivers. That is why we are involving more actors, such as parking companies. The research institute RISE will lead the work on developing a digital interface, business models and user studies.”
From technology testing to user-centered innovation
In the parking lot at Lindholmen, five parking spaces have been equipped with updated charging boxes and the cars included in the test are all-electric test cars with the required functionality. During 2025, the PEPP project will continuously evaluate how these cars are used for bidirectional charging.
“What incentives do users need? How much of the capacity in their battery do they want and dare to share? To develop business models, we need insight into behaviors”, says Jonas Eriksson at Business Region Gothenburg, Director of Gothenburg Green City Zone.
Small-scale pilots, large-scale potential
The two-year project involves 12 vehicles and aims to provide insights into scaling up V2G solutions. With approximately 450,000 rechargeable cars in Sweden—equating to about 9,800 MWh of battery capacity—the potential for balancing the energy system is significant. Lars Bern concludes: – I see huge potential in this. A project like this could be the starting point for equipping more cars with this functionality. This in turn could contribute to society being electrified in a more efficient way, which is crucial for reducing emissions from road traffic.
About PEPP
The project Public EV Power Pilots (PEPP) aims to evaluate the practical implementation of bidirectional charging—also known as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)—in public environments. This initiative is part of the Gothenburg Green City Zone, where industry, academia, and public sector partners collaborate to develop and test zero-emission transport solutions in real-world settings.
PEPP is a collaborative effort among several organizations, including Lindholmen Science Park, Johanneberg Science Park, Volvo Cars, Volvo On Demand, Chalmers University of Technology, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, CTEK Sweden, EasyPark, Göteborg Stads Parkering, Mölndals Parkering, Göteborg Energi, Mölndal Energi, Mölndala Fastighet, and Business Region Göteborg.
The project is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency's FFI program and Vinnova.