Solar-charge your car: EV charging can be aligned with renewables by providing pro-environmental information on a smartboard

The integration of electric vehicle (EV) charging with renewable energy sources is crucial for minimizing the carbon footprint of transportation. This study investigates whether real-time pro-environmental information displayed on a smartboard at EV charging stations can influence drivers to align their charging behavior with periods of high renewable energy availability. A pre-post-control quasi-experimental field trial was conducted in a sustainable neighborhood in Ghent, Belgium. A smartboard provided real-time signals indicating optimal charging times based on renewable energy production. The results demonstrate that the presence of real-time pro-environmental information on a smartboard was associated with significant increases in both the number of charging operations and the amount of energy charged during periods of high renewable energy availability. This approach offers a scalable, cost-effective method for optimizing energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in residential settings.