Helping rural communities benefit from electric vehicles

We want to make sure rural communities also benefit from the electrification of transport. So we’re delighted that our R&D UK Centre’s Rural Electric Mobility Enabler (REME) project has won funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Innovate UK to help do just that!
Inclusive REME breaking down barriers
Ali Sisan, Technical lead and Senior Research Engineer at R&D Smart Customers said: “We need innovative solutions to make sure we have a future-proof EV charging network that works for everyone. REME lets us assess existing and future needs and brings the reality of EV and low carbon living to everyone.”
Led by EDF, the project is breaking down technological and commercial barriers to the roll-out of EV infrastructure in remote rural areas.
Working closely with Field Dynamics, DG Cities, Bonnet, and Devon County Council we’re creating innovative solutions to build the EV infrastructure of the future, wherever it’s needed.
Giving solutions to challenges in rural communities
There are significant barriers to the rural roll-out of EV infrastructure and REME will identify them and propose innovative technological and commercial solutions to overcome them. REME will assess existing and future charging and infrastructure provision and needs, and explore the use of new technologies to manage, and meet, future demand in rural areas.
REME addresses four main objectives:
- Promote and support electric mobility growth in rural areas and identify ‘where and what’ the needs are,
- Build more confidence in accessing charging points, through innovative solutions that will build greater choice of charging points for residents and visitors,
- Offer/assess a range of value-added services to existing infrastructure (such as local authority and visitor attraction car parks) which promotes new local jobs.
- Address both the drive to net zero and levelling up objectives by developing solutions to the issues of variable, seasonal, charging demand which supports both the local population and the tourist economy.
Driving electric is just one of the innovative solutions to helping Britain achieve Net Zero.