Netherlands tests shared EV charging spots and net‑aware load management

A pilot in Weert and 18 other Dutch municipalities will allow gasoline, diesel and other non‑electric cars to park on public charging bays from 1 August without risk of a fine. The trial, run by Vattenfall InCharge with provincial partners, will install 150 shared charging posts marked with special signs and assess whether mixed‑use sites can be set up faster than the current exclusive EV‑only process.

In Utrecht, a winter pilot involving about 3,500 public chargers reduced evening‑peak electricity demand by up to 50 percent by temporarily lowering charging speeds between 16:00 and 21:00. The project, coordinated by grid operator Stedin, showed that most drivers could still fully charge their vehicles overnight and demonstrated a scalable tool to ease grid congestion. The next phase will test dynamic, day‑ahead load‑management signals.