A new charging solution that intelligently detects grid imbalances and briefly pauses current EV charging sessions to help prevent power blackouts has launched.

Alok Dubey, UK country manager of Monta

Dubbed PowerBank, it’s the brainchild of EV charging platform Monta, which says it’s a game-changer in the EV charging industry.

PowerBank works by connecting multiple charge points to the grid system, allowing Monta to manage charging activities by momentarily pausing and then resuming EV charging in response to grid imbalances.

This helps Monta to distribute power and alleviate the strain caused by the fluctuating production and high consumption of electricity – preventing power outages and helping to stabilise the grid.

It’s already undergone a successful Beta test programme in Denmark and Sweden with 3,600 residential charge points, which saw Monta aggregate an average of 3 megawatts (MW) of electricity demand at night, equal to 2,250 households. This rose to 10 MW on some nights, enough for about 6,000 households, demonstrating PowerBank’s grid-stabilising potential during peak demand.

Monta said it’s the first step towards a more sustainable, developed and stable power grid.

Alok Dubey, regional director for Western Europe, commented: “At Monta, we’re committed to making home-based EV charging more sustainable for the grid and it is our goal to future-proof the EV ecosystem. In the face of increasing volatility and unpredictability in electricity generation and consumption, we face a very real possibility of blackouts and outages.

“With PowerBank, we aim to bolster existing infrastructure, allowing charge point owners to actively safeguard their community against blackouts and contribute to the broader goal of grid stability, by linking charge points to the electrical grid system, PowerBank ingeniously pauses and restarts charging activities, detecting and adjusting to grid imbalances.”

Powerbank initially launches for Monta’s fleet and private customers in Ireland, arriving in the UK from December 2023. Users earn Monta credits for each kWh charged, which can be used for charging in Monta’s Roaming network, paying subscriptions, or purchasing items such as SIM cards, QR stickers, RFID cards and more in the Monta Shop.

“Predictions estimate that by 2030 there’ll be 10 million EV cars on UK roads, approximately 30% of all cars, which means we cannot afford to slow down the implementation of a robust UK charge point infrastructure, and PowerBank is a key tool in supporting and strengthening the resilience of existing infrastructure,” added Dubey.

The launch of PowerBank follows the arrival of Monta’s intelligent Virtual SolarCharging feature, which enables EV homeowners to provide their own electricity, ease their dependence on the National Grid, as well as reduce costs.