Switzerland has embarked on an ambitious plan to decarbonize power supply and electrify road transportation. The government targets a significant increase of electric vehicle (EV) uptake to reach a 91-99% market share by 2035, along with the aggregated build-out of 2 million homeplace and public EV charging points by the same year. The increase in electricity demand from Switzerland’s EV strategy will be substantial (+7.3 TWh expected for 2035). Managing this growth properly is important to avoid challenges for grid stability. In parallel, the recently adopted electricity law also foresees a significant increase in variable sources of renewable electricity, notably 30 TWh of solar PV generation by 2035. How can Switzerland’s transition towards renewables-based electromobility be managed in a user-centric and grid-friendly way, unlocking synergies rather than multiplying challenges? Looking at the typical patterns of PV generation and EV charging, workplace charging emerges as a key piece in the Swiss energy transition puzzle. The ROAST project empirically investigates the market acceptance of smart solar EV charging at work, exploring the willingness of companies and their employees to co-create demand-side flexibility. The results of the project will lead to evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and facilitate the development of innovative business models at the intersection between.
Research Associate / PostDoc