Take a look at some of the electrification ventures across the industry.

Leading sales, Martyna had a chance to get to know most of our clients on top of having spoken to hundreds of people from the eMobility environment. She’s gained an in-depth understanding of what’s desired or unwanted in the business and she’s now applying that knowledge in her everyday job.

Martyna Wajda

As much as we’ve been focusing heavily on the electric cars (which are at the forefront of eMobility), there’s much more to the whole electric transportation industry. Some are already fairly popular, others are still in development phases. However, the scale of electrification grows rather rapidly all over the world and across different means of transportation.

In the city, we can most commonly see electric buses, trolleys, and trams. The first two usually share the same infrastructure – they both have batteries that need to be regularly recharged and often use the same routes.

Trams are a bit different as they’re almost always connected to an overhead wire that powers them constantly. This limits their range but makes them more reliable, which is important for public transportation.

Buses are the most common type of electric city transportation. In Europe, the majority of new buses being put into circulation are electric. The same goes for China – where air pollution is a pressing issue, and the government is investing a lot in eMobility.

Electric Volvo Bus, source: https://www.volvobuses.com

The two biggest bus manufacturers are BYD and Yutong, both from China. In Europe, the most popular models are those made by Volvo, Scania, and MAN.

Trolleybuses are very similar to regular buses but draw power from wires suspended above them, much like trams. These are mostly found in Eastern Europe and Russia – countries with large areas and long distances between cities.

Taxis and ride-hailing services are also starting to switch to electric cars. In Europe, the Netherlands was one of the first countries to make this transition. The country’s two biggest taxi companies, Connexxion and TCA, have both announced that they will only buy electric vehicles from 2020 onwards.

Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are also starting to switch to electric cars in some cities. In London, for example, Uber has committed to having all of its cars be electric by 2025.

Trains are another area where electrification is happening rapidly. In Europe, a lot of new trains being put into circulation are electric. The same goes for China, which is investing heavily in high-speed rail.

The two biggest train manufacturers are Siemens and Alstom, both from Europe. In China, the most popular models are those made by CRRC.

In the United States, Amtrak – the national rail operator – has announced that it wants to replace all of its diesel-powered trains with electric ones by 2035.

Trucks are another area where electrification is starting to happen. Tesla has already launched an all-electric truck – the Tesla Semi. The truck has a range of 500 miles (800 km) and it can haul up to 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg).

Daimler – the parent company of Mercedes-Benz – is also working on an all-electric truck. The truck – called the Freightliner eCascadia – has a range of 250 miles (400 km).

Volvo – one of the world's largest truck manufacturers – is also working on electric trucks. There are already some models in place – such as the Volvo FL Electric – but the company is also working on an all-electric truck that will have a range of 300 miles (480 km).

The aviation industry is starting to explore electrification as well. Eviation Aircraft's Alice is the first all-electric passenger plane. It's a small aircraft that can seat up to nine people and has a range of 650 miles (1,046 km). The company is planning to start commercial operations in 2022. 

Airplane Alice, source: https://www.eviation.com

Wright Electric is another company working on electric passenger planes. It's planning to launch a short-haul plane that can seat up to 150 people by 2027.

However, Wright Electric is not the only company working on electric planes. Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer are all exploring the possibility of making electric planes. In the cargo sector, Airbus is working on an all-electric plane called the E-Fan X. It's a hybrid plane that will have four electric motors and two gas turbines. For now it operates as a technology showcase and it's paving the path for future electric airplanes to come.

Electric airplanes are still in development but there are already a handful of companies working on them. The most promising designs are those that use electric motors to power the propellers or turbofans.

The biggest obstacle to electric airplanes is their range. Current battery technology can only provide enough power for short flights. This is why most of the research is being focused on hybrid designs that combine electric motors with traditional combustion engines.

Ships are one of the last areas to be electrified. It is happening slowly but surely. The first electric ship was put into operation in 1881 but it wasn’t until the 2010s that the technology started to be used on a larger scale.

The two biggest manufacturers of electric ships are ABB and Siemens, both from Europe. In China, the most popular models are those made by CIC.

The most common type of electric ship is the ferry. In Europe, there are already several hundred electric ferries in operation. The world's first all-electric container ship – the MV Yara Birkeland has debuted in Norway. It will be able to carry up to 100 containers and it will sail between three Norwegian ports. 

Yara Birkeland, source: ​​https://www.yara.com/ 

Norway is also a home to the largest fleet, where over 60% of all ferries are electric. Generally, there are only a handful of electric cargo ships in operation but that is expected to change in the coming years.

In terms of the electric cruise ships, there aren’t many but the world's largest electric cruise ship,” the Yangtze River Three Gorges has recently set on its maiden trip. The new, 100 meter long ship is a marvel of technology and sustainability. It can haul up to 1,300 passengers at one time with its 7500kWh battery pack.

Transport electrification takes place in nearly all kinds of areas. Including things like construction and farm equipment. As much as the changes in how we power the utilities are widely visible, there’s still a long way to go before it’ll take over for good.

Demand response

Get our comprehensive PDF packed with knowledge on eRoaming, hubs and protocols!

Being an eMobility leader in various projects across multiple startups, Piotr was responsible for OCPI and OCPP integration as well as EMP and CPO platforms development. With extensive expertise in the open standards field and eMobility tech solutions, he is leading teams of experienced developers and contributing with invaluable knowledge and experience.

Piotr Majcher

Certainly, roaming is something known to everyone at this point. However, what that has to do with eMobility?

Being a broad term for services allowing for connection outside of the usual network, roaming turns out to be an on-point solution for EV charging. With many players in the eMobility game (i.e. Charging Point Operators, eMobility Service Providers), some type of a connector is a must. Here’s exactly where eRoaming comes into play allowing for multi-dimensional connection between operators and EV drivers.

In short, eRoaming can be established via the use of hubs and protocols. A hub here can be an open platform which, after subscribing, can be used by many operators, who operate on common terms. This all happens in such a way that a certain charging pool introduced to a common hub can then be easily used by clients (EV drivers) of different providers. Such a solution allows electric vehicle users to charge their car across cities/countries with limited hussle.

In order to facilitate such a solution, the hubs developed their own open protocols, which are essentially responsible for the connection. They also define the functionalities of each eRoaming platform.

Amongst the existing hubs, we can differentiate three major ones. They all come with their own open standards and unify hundreds of CPOs and EMPs as well as millions of EV drivers.

The three biggest hubs and their protocols are:

(eMobility Inter-Operation Protocol - eMIP)

Apart from the proprietary protocols coming from hubs, it’s worth mentioning that there's also an independent one - 

Open Charge Point Interface Protocol (OCPI)

. It allows for eRoaming between the hubs as well as peer-to-peer connection.

To learn more about eRoaming, hubs & protocols, their importance and functionality as well as the future of eMobility - take a look at our exclusive paper covering all that needs to be covered on the topic!

eRoaming Hubs explained

Download our paper on Demand Response and learn all about it!

Experienced content writer with over 4 years of experience in the energy sector and many industry-related publications released.

Gabriela Stawiarska

Lately, there has been quite a lot of debate about the capacity of the grid all over the world. With tensions rising, many people are voicing their concerns in terms of the potential grid overburdening. However, while speaking about it, one must remember how complex the whole ecosystem is.

The global energy system is a vast and complex network that supplies energy to homes and businesses across the entire planet. It includes everything from power plants and transmission lines to distribution systems and end-use customers. At the heart of this system is energy management. This is the process of planning, controlling, and optimizing the use of energy resources to meet specific objectives. It involves countless operations making sure that the entirety runs smoothly.

Demand response is one of the technologies involved in grid’s proper operation. 

Per definition, demand response is a change in electricity consumption by consumers to help keep the supply and demand of electricity in balance. This can be done by either reducing or increasing their electricity usage depending on the needs of the grid.

Through demand response, utilities can reduce the need for investment in new generation capacity, as well as improve grid stability and resilience. For consumers, demand response programs can offer financial incentives and other benefits.

The whole technology, however slightly complicated at first glance, brings a whole plethora of benefits for both - energy consumers and the grid itself.

In our downloadable PDF, we shed light on all the important aspects of demand response:

What are the main branches of the energy system?

What’s the role of the grid in the ecosystem?

Examples of demand response in practise (including eMobility solutions)

How does demand response impact the energy system?

All about demand response

Learn about the wireless EV charging and its possibilities and obstacles.

Grzegorz is the Head of Development in Solidstudio and he has spent quite a few years here. He’s a skilled software developer that had a chance to work on numerous eMobility-related projects for clients from many different countries.

Grzegorz Bar

It wasn't that long ago when electric cars were nothing short of a pipe dream and a daring vision of the future. It didn't take that much time for it to become the new reality, still in development, but definitely no longer a futuristic delusion. As much as there's yet a lot of work at the grass root to be carried out, especially in terms of the charging infrastructure, major technological advancements can be observed at any level of eMobility undertakings.


This is further true when we take a closer look at some of the latest trends in eMobility. We can see that many new technologies are being developed to make electric cars more efficient, more reliable and cheaper to maintain. Some of these trends include:

- allows for the quick and easy exchange of batteries in electric vehicles. This means that drivers will no longer have to wait for their batteries to charge, which will make electric cars more convenient to use.

 - allows drivers to charge their electric vehicles without having to plug them into a charging station. instead, they can simply place their car on a special pad that will wirelessly charge the battery.

 - allows electric vehicles to be charged by the sun. Solar panels can be used to collect solar energy and then convert it into electrical energy that can be used to charge an electric vehicle. This renewable source of energy will make it easier for people to use electric cars.

Electric Vehicle Battery Management Systems

 - helps to keep electric vehicle batteries healthy and working properly. These systems can monitor the battery's health, charge level, and temperature. They can also help to extend the life of the battery.

 - can charge an electric vehicle's battery in a matter of minutes. This will make it easier for people to use electric cars, as they will not have to wait long for their batteries to charge.

 - these cars are connected to the internet and can drive themselves

Big Data and Predictive Analytics for Electric Vehicles

 - can help to predict when an electric vehicle will need to be charged. It can also help to find the best route for an electric vehicle to take.

Blockchain Technology for Electric Vehicles

 - can help to secure data about electric vehicles. It can also help to provide a way for people to pay for electric car charging.

 - can help to create a network of electric vehicles that can provide power to a grid

In this entry, wireless charging is what we’re going to focus on. First, let’s see what wireless charging is in general. Wireless charging is a technology that allows devices to be charged without the need for a physical connection (i.e. through the cable). This means that instead of plugging your device into a power outlet, you can simply place it on a wireless charging pad.  What's interesting is that the first prototypes of such technology were created by Nikolai Tesla, back in the late 1800's, when he managed to transmit the electricity through air.

Wireless charging technology uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between a charging pad and a device. The charging pad is connected to a power outlet, and the device has a built-in receiver that converts the energy into electricity that can be used to charge the battery. This is accomplished by using a copper coil, which creates an oscillating magnetic field. The receiver then converts the current into DC power, which is used to charge the battery.

There are mainly two types of wireless charging: inductive and resonant. Inductive charging is the most common type, and it uses magnetic fields to transfer energy between the charger and the device. Resonant charging uses electromagnetic resonance to transfer energy, and it is less common.

Now, how does it work for EVs? There isn’t any difference to how this happens with electric cars. The car charging session starts when electricity is transferred from one magnetic coil in the charger to another by way of an induction process. The coils need both be aligned with each other, which means that the driver has to park directly over it to enable the charging event. The wireless chargers come in the shape of a flat pad, making it relatively easy to maneuver the car over them.


Wireless EV charging is still in its infancy but there are already a few companies working on the technology, including big automotive players like BMW or Volvo. The big obstacle in working with wireless charging is the lack of broad, widely-accepted standardization. Here’s where The Society of Automotive Engineers has come to help by developing a standard for wireless EV charging, which should help to speed up the adoption of the technology.

SAE J2954 is the aforementioned standard for wireless EV charging. In the official documentation about the standard we read:

“ The SAE J2954 standard establishes an industry-wide specification that defines acceptable criteria for interoperability, electromagnetic compatibility, EMF, minimum performance, safety, and testing for wireless power transfer (WPT) of light-duty plug-in electric vehicles. The specification defines various charging levels that are based on the levels defined for SAE J1772 conductive AC charge levels 1, 2, and 3, with some variations. A standard for WPT based on these charge levels enables selection of a charging rate based on vehicle requirements, thus allowing for better vehicle packaging and ease of customer use. The specification supports home (private) charging and public wireless charging.”

The charge levels mentioned above are (at least for now): 3.7kWh, 7kWh and 11kWh, leaving the room for improvements in this area for sure. The standard’s development took almost a decade, meaning that the upcoming changes may take a bit of time to be included.

Wireless EV charging - the benefits and the obstacles

For as long as wireless charging remains in its infancy, it's a bit hard to speak about the advantages, as currently there aren't many in practical use. Although, it doesn't mean that the technology itself won't have much to offer in case it gets developed to the point of mass adoption.

Wireless charging for electric vehicles would be a convenient and efficient way to keep your car charged without the hassle of dealing with cords and plugs or finding a parking spot near a charging station. Wireless charging would make a perfect case scenario for electric taxis or buses, which all have their frequent stops. Such an undertaking is already taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden. The pilot project involves a fleet of taxis (consisting of the electric Volvo XC40s) and a suite of charging pads developed by an US company - Momentum Dynamics. The chargers are installed in specially prepared parking spaces. Such a venture allows not only for the electric taxi fleet to remain charged but also makes up for a great test-environment to gather the data, learn about some issues and implement solutions.

However, before we ever get to witness and enjoy the giftings of wireless charging, there are some quite substantial obstacles to overcome.One of the biggest obstacles to widespread adoption of wireless EV charging is the lack of infrastructure. Wireless chargers need to be installed in convenient locations where EV owners can easily access them, and right now there are very few public places that offer wireless charging. This means that most people who want to use wireless charging will have to install a charger at their home or workplace, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

Wireless charging technology is still in its early stages of development, and there are a number of technical challenges that need to be overcome before it can be widely used. For example, current wireless chargers can only transfer a limited amount of power, which means that they can take a long time to charge an EV. These technical challenges are being addressed by research and development, but it will take some time before they are resolved.

Wireless charging technology is currently more expensive than traditional wired charging, both in terms of the initial cost of the equipment and the cost of installation. This is one of the main reasons why wireless charging has not been more widely adopted so far. However, as the technology develops and becomes more widespread, the costs are likely to come down.

There are some safety concerns associated with wireless EV charging, as the chargers emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Although there is no evidence that EMFs are harmful to humans, some people are still worried about the potential health effects. These concerns need to be addressed before wireless charging can be fully accepted by the public.

Wireless EV charging is a promising technology that has the potential to make EV ownership more convenient and reduce the environmental impact of transportation. However, there are a number of obstacles that need to be overcome before it can be widely adopted. These include the lack of infrastructure, technical challenges, cost, safety concerns, and the lack of standardization. With continued research and development, these obstacles can be overcome and wireless charging can become a mainstream technology.

eMobility outside of the passenger cars - some of the electrification ventures

13 OCTOBER 2022 • 6 MIN READ