European Space Agency: Space for Electromobility

The electrification of transport is playing a key role in the ongoing transformation of the mobility landscape, offering significant opportunities across the mobility ecosystem. There are also rigorous efforts underway to reduce average CO2 emissions from new vans and heavy-duty vehicles.

The European Space Agency’s ‘Space for Electromobility’ invitation to tender (ITT) offers funding for teams who would like to develop sustainable space-based services and applications that address challenges related to the electromobility ecosystem.

The Challenge

The continued acceleration of vehicle electrification is putting pressure on charging infrastructure, supply chains of critical components, and the electric grid network. The deployment, upgrade, and maintenance of key electromobility infrastructure must go hand in hand with EV adoption to ensure that there are no bottlenecks.

Examples of services that could be relevant are outlined below. The list is not exhaustive as other services could also be evaluated if duly supported by user communities. Further details of each challenge are given at the European Space Agency (ESA) website.

Expansion of charging infrastructure

This theme explores innovative applications to expand EV charging infrastructure in a variety of environments — rural areas, urban streets, along highways and in depots. The aim is to support the efficient and fair deployment of infrastructure to encourage the uptake of electric passenger cars, as well as the electrification of buses, coaches, and trucks. Sub-topics include urban charging, rural charging, and grid resilience and flexibility.

Driving EV uptake

This theme explores innovative services for drivers and industry to encourage EV uptake, providing information on charging points or battery swapping locations, promoting optimal charging behaviour, and encouraging V2G applications.

Value of Space

Examples of the potential non-exhaustive uses of space technologies and satellite data for this Feasibility Study are outlined below:

• Satellite Positioning and Timing: Global Navigation and Satellite System (GNSS) data can be used to provide innovative services to drivers by providing information on charging points or battery swapping locations and traffic density, and giving insights on driver behaviour and supporting route planning. These services could include information about expected waiting times, energy availability, and optimal route suggestions to streamline the charging process. Satellite navigation is also useful in enforcing the routing of certain vehicles according to pollution levels in urban areas.
• Satellite Communications (Satcom): Satcom can provide reliable connectivity in rural and remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure may be limited. This capability can support innovative services which connect and monitor the status of EV charging infrastructure in rural areas. Additionally, it can enable digital connectivity to allow drivers to pay for electricity digitally in remote locations. Satcom is also vital for data transfer between IoT monitoring devices located at EV charging stations and renewable energy sources which may help with the integration of these renewable energy sources and better grid management.
• Satellite Earth Observation (SatEO): SatEO can support strategic decision-making on infrastructure deployment locations by providing data on topography, land use, weather, accessibility, and environmental data. In urban areas, EO can be combined with terrestrial data to predict and prioritise where electrification infrastructure is needed most, for example,  based on property type and location. For rural locations, EO is relevant in identifying areas which are lacking the necessary infrastructure to enable the fair and wide adoption of electromobility, informing on strategies to increase accessibility and roll out for both passenger car vehicles, as well as for heavy duty transport such as bus, coach and truck depots. EO can also be used to monitor pollution levels in cities to inform on municipal enforcement strategies for both private and public vehicles.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to companies that intend to develop space-enabled services and products related, but not restricted, to the topics of relevance outlined above. Eligible countries for funding include the UK.

ESA are looking for promising business ideas addressing topics of relevance or related areas that propose:

• Commercially-viable service concepts
• Technically feasible solutions
• Sustainable service concepts
• Added value of space data or technology
• Motivated teams with business, technical, and financial expertise

Feasibility Studies explore the sustainability potential and technical viability of new applications and services that exploit one or more space assets (e.g. satellite communications, satellite navigation, Earth observation). Feasibility Studies should evaluate the technical and economic sustainability potential of the service but have the objective of eventual development, demonstration and operational provision of the service investigated thereafter (if proven viable).

Funding available

ESA offer up to 200,000 Euro (firm-fixed ESA price) per project, which can cover up to 80% of the maximum total cost of 250,000 Euro.

Briefing and support

ESA held a briefing webinar on 13 September: click here to download the slides.

If you would like help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Space team.