Zap-Map and Advanced Infrastructure have been awarded funding to create a new zero carbon EV route planner.
They have been awarded £540,000 to build Zap-Zero, a new electric vehicle route planner combining EV charging and energy network data to make truly zero carbon EV journeys a possibility.
The companies’ joint proposal was to build a new EV routing product, which would give drivers the ability to choose the lowest possible carbon option, based on Advanced Infrastructure’s in-depth data on local power networks and their carbon intensity.
As WhichEV reported, Zap-Map’s existing route planner gives EV drivers the ability to map journeys with charging stops based on their vehicle’s range and charging capability and is used by many thousands of EV drivers each month.
The new partnership will see Advanced Infrastructure’s ‘digital twin’ of the UK’s electricity network overlaid on Zap-Map’s comprehensive database of EV chargers. This will allow drivers to see carbon intensity data for individual charge points based on real-time grid data in order to monitor the actual emissions associated with every kWh of power their vehicle consumes.
Also, the Zap-Zero route planner will provide dynamic carbon intensity data, enabling businesses with fleets of EV drivers to optimise their route selection based on emissions and report their footprint as accurately as possible.
The aim is to make it possible for an electric vehicle to be powered by truly carbon-free electricity, with no offsets and no energy certificates, just renewable power, according to Ben Lane, Zap-Map Co-Founder and CTO.
“Drivers and fleet managers choose electric because they want to lower their carbon footprint, so how the electricity powering their vehicles is sourced is paramount,” he said. “The integration of Advanced Infrastructure’s data provides that in-depth traceability, driving the footprint of already low-carbon journeys down further still and helping businesses go the extra mile in the detail and transparency of their carbon reporting.”
Zap-Zero will be developed as part of Zap-Map’s route planner 2.0, expected to launch in early 2022.