In response to growing electricity demand and the rising number of electric vehicles in the city, the Municipality of Amsterdam has launched a six-month smart charging pilot. The initiative aims to optimise the use of the electricity grid and prevent peak load stress, while offering EV users financial incentives.
The pilot, which began in March 2025, is a collaborative effort between Equans (charge point operator), Deftpower (charging service platform), ANWB (mobility services provider), and the City of Amsterdam. It focuses on making electric vehicle charging more efficient and responsive to real-time electricity availability and prices.
How the pilot works
Participants need to have an electric vehicle and an ANWB charging card. After plugging in their vehicle at a participating charging station, users can input their expected departure time via the ANWB app. Based on this information, Equans schedules the charging session in a way that avoids immediate power use and instead distributes the energy demand more evenly across the available window.
This method, known as smart charging, helps to:
- Delay charging to off-peak periods with lower electricity tariffs,
- Increase charging during times of high renewable energy availability,
- Reduce strain on the urban electricity grid.
As an added benefit, users receive a cashback reward based on real-time electricity prices at the time of charging. This offers immediate savings on charging costs and promotes participation.
Benefits of smart charging
The initiative supports several broader objectives:
- Alleviating grid congestion by shifting EV charging away from peak demand periods,
- Facilitating the use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, by timing charging sessions to match supply peaks,
- Encouraging consumer participation in grid-friendly charging through financial incentives.
Currently, more than 3,000 public charging points in Amsterdam are part of the pilot. Some already use "grid-aware charging", a method that adapts charging power based on the grid’s current load. The pilot builds on this by adding user flexibility and dynamic pricing considerations.
Towards scalable smart charging
The Amsterdam smart charging pilot reflects a growing trend in European cities to integrate demand-side flexibility into EV charging infrastructure. These systems are increasingly seen as essential tools for managing the energy transition and ensuring that the rapid uptake of electric vehicles does not lead to additional grid challenges.
This pilot also contributes to insights needed for broader deployment of smart charging infrastructure, which aligns with objectives under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) — Regulation (EU) 2023/1804, particularly regarding user-friendly recharging and grid efficiency.
Further information
For more details about the pilot or how to participate, visit the official Amsterdam city page:👉Proef Slim Laden – Gemeente Amsterdam
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Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.
