PULSE: Pioneering User-centric wireless, smart and bi-directionaL charging Solutions for Electric light-duty vehicles
PULSE is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action focused on developing wireless, smart and bidirectional charging solutions for electric light-duty vehicles. The project responds to the rapid growth of electric mobility in Europe and the need for charging infrastructure that is convenient, accessible and well integrated into the electricity grid.
By enabling electric vehicles to charge wirelessly and, where useful, return energy to the grid or home, PULSE explores how charging can become easier for users while also supporting renewable energy integration, grid flexibility and a cleaner mobility system. The project will validate the technology through real-world demonstrations in Greece, Finland and the United Kingdom, covering passenger transport, logistics fleets and accessible on-street charging.
Objectives
- Develop and validate efficient, safe and interoperable wireless bidirectional charging technology for electric light-duty vehicles.
- Demonstrate the solutions in diverse real-world urban environments and climate conditions.
- Assess user acceptance, accessibility, inclusivity and societal readiness alongside technical performance.
- Explore how wireless vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home services can support grid flexibility, renewable energy integration and smart charging.
- Create evidence-based tools, business models and replication pathways to support wider deployment across European cities.
Cenex NL key contribution:
Cenex Nederland leads the PULSE work on upscaling, replication and impact assessment. In this role, CenexNL helps translate the project’s pilot results into practical guidance for wider deployment, identifying where wireless bidirectional charging can deliver the greatest value for cities, fleets, charging providers and energy-system actors.
CenexNL will develop and assess use cases and business models, evaluate market readiness and replication potential, and support the identification of follower cities. The work also includes broader impact assessment, including environmental, societal and economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, social cost-benefit analysis, eco-design recommendations and modelling through the project’s Double-Twin framework.
Through this contribution, Cenex Nederland supports the project’s ambition to move beyond technical demonstration and create clear, evidence-based pathways for scaling wireless bidirectional charging as part of an inclusive, sustainable and resilient European mobility system.
Project Partners