IBM and Swiss utility demonstrating remote EV charging via smartphones

IBM Research is teaming with Swiss electric utility EKZ to enable EV charging and energy cost monitoring remotely via mobile devices. The companies say the near real-time information will also help utility providers better manage power grid loads during peak charging times – which will become increasingly challenging as EV adoption increases.

The pilot involves a web-based app developed by IBM scientists in Zurich and a data recording device created at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.  The app was designed to run on most smartphones, tablets and Web browsers.

“Electric vehicles can be used to buffer the irregular production of electricity from future renewable sources, which will contribute to the overall stability of the electrical network,” predicts Peter Franken, head of the Energy Distribution department of EKZ. "With this project we can show how electric vehicles can create a balance between supply and demand for smarter energy grids."

Next page: watch the app in action >>