EVs are increasingly being used as dispatchable resources for electrical grids, and companies are springing up to address this business opportunity.
One of these is the UK firm Electric Miles, which describes itself as “an EV smart charging and flexibility technology provider.” The company works with several of the UK’s electricity networks, including SP Energy Networks (SPEN), UK Power Networks (UKPN), National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), and Northern Powergrid, and says it has now delivered more than 11,000 flexibility dispatches through its SmartFlex platform.
In the past month, Electric Miles says it successfully executed over 1,000 automated demand-side response events, supporting grid stability during peak winter demand across several regions. As winter demand increased, Electric Miles’ platform enabled fast and automated load reductions across domestic EV chargers, helping distribution system operators manage local constraints through flexibility instead of expensive infrastructure reinforcement.
Electric Miles’ SmartFlex engine integrates real-time load management, day-ahead scheduling, and automated dispatch across mixed charger fleets. The company says the platform has demonstrated consistent accuracy and responsiveness at scale, giving DSOs access to predictable flexibility without manual intervention.
The platform is hardware-agnostic, and integrates with 400+ charger models.
“Flexibility is essential for operating a resilient and efficient distribution network, particularly during winter peaks,” said George Fournarakis, Flexibility Senior Specialist at SP Energy Networks. “Electric Miles [is] enabling EV drivers to take part in these services at scale.”
“Electric vehicle charging provides a growing source of flexibility, providing real benefits to networks like ours and putting money back in consumers’ pockets,” said Alex Howard, Head of Flexibility Markets at UK Power Networks. “If we can make it easy for people to do the right thing for the grid, we can reduce the overall cost of the energy system.”
“The growth of residential EV flexibility is an important part of preparing the electricity system for a decarbonised future,” said Doerte Schneemann, Flexibility and Markets Lead at National Grid. “Electric Miles’ approach, combining reliable automated response with strong customer engagement, shows how smart charging can support system needs at scale.”
Source: Electric Miles