OPULI – advancing clean transport through collaborative test platform for EV charging

This article series presents cases of innovations built here in Espoo that strive for a better tomorrow for all.

The landscape of electric vehicle charging is on the brink of transformation with innovations and standards emerging worldwide. In Espoo’s Otaniemi at the heart of this effort is the Sustainable Growth Development Environment (KETO) project, which envisioned a test platform for commercial vehicle charging – OPULI, a joint development and research venture of Espoo, Aalto University and VTT.

The first phase set in the first half of 2024, OPULI is a test platform and innovation environment. Its initial focus is on high-power charging trials, but the platform is designed to evolve, gradually incorporating an array of services, charging solutions, and energy business innovations.

A significant part of OPULI’s operation is open collaboration. It combines a dynamic business environment with the flexibility for trials, allowing various actors to collaboratively test their solutions directly at the user interface without the burden of significant investment costs. OPULI also shares and utilizes data that unlocks opportunities for developing charging solutions and creating ancillary services and innovative energy solutions. In the future, the platform is poised to embrace developments in shared-use cars, energy communities, locally produced renewable energy, and even explore the realms of autonomous vehicles, demand response services, and vehicle-to-grid charging.