Smartcar is partnering with the utility company Krafthem to offer cheaper, more sustainable electricity contracts, primarily to electric car owners in Sweden, that help balance the Nordic electric grid. Krafthem has developed AI technology to make electric power systems more efficient. Smartcar enables the company to connect to its customers’ EVs and power its demand response programs with crucial vehicle data.
Krafthem makes electric power systems more efficient
The rising popularity of electric vehicles poses increasing challenges to electric grids worldwide. EVs need large amounts of electricity to charge, causing spikes in electricity usage that risk overloading electric grids during daily peak hours.
Krafthem is the first electric utility company to help balance the Nordic electric grid by offering electricity contracts tailored especially to EV telemetry. The company’s demand response program features machine learning algorithms that automatically charge electric vehicles at times when electricity is cheapest and generated from renewable sources. This way, Krafthem’s customers can cut their electricity costs in half while also reducing carbon emissions and making the Nordic electric grid more efficient.
“Grid balancing and green energy usage are very pressing topics in today’s energy landscape,” said Smartcar CEO Sahas Katta. “We’re really impressed with Krafthem’s solution to this challenge and are excited to help them create the best possible experience for their customers.”
Smartcar allows Krafthem to connect with EVs
When looking for a way to power its demand response program with crucial vehicle data, Krafthem decided to partner with Smartcar. The Smartcar platform allows Krafthem customers to easily connect their EVs and share their vehicle data and charging permissions.
When first connecting their vehicle, a customer logs in with their connected services account and reviews the permissions Krafthem requests from their car. Once the customer agrees, Krafthem uses Smartcar’s technology to access the vehicle’s state of charge, charging status, odometer, and location as well as to remotely start and stop charging the car using simple API requests.
“We couldn’t think of an easier way to remotely monitor and manage our customers’ electric vehicles,” said Krafthem CEO and Founder John Diklev. “The Smartcar platform is straightforward, easy to integrate with, and compatible across car brands, which is a huge plus for us as we’re quickly building and bringing our product to market.”
