Electric vehicles aren’t just changing how we drive. They’re starting to change how electricity flows. Across Europe, a quiet revolution is taking place as “virtual power plants” turn home chargers into flexible tools that keep national grids steady.
In Finland, technology company Synergi has launched a new smart charging service that connects thousands of EVs through its mobile app. The idea is simple: plug in as usual, let the app time charging for the cheapest and cleanest hours, and earn money when your car helps stabilise the grid.
“By becoming Finland’s first virtual power plant for EVs and launching a new smart charging service, we’re laying the groundwork for a model where households can play a more active role in the energy transition,” says Antti Hämmäinen, Synergi’s founder and CEO. “Across Europe, there are already many demand response solutions where households can earn tens of euros per month in rewards.”
The Technology Behind the VPP
Smart charging itself isn’t new, but Synergi’s system goes further. Instead of simply waiting for off-peak prices, the app fine-tunes charging in real time. If the grid is strained, charging pauses; if renewable power surges, it resumes.
There’s no new hardware to buy. The app links directly to each vehicle via its manufacturer’s cloud connection, supporting major brands from Tesla and BMW to Hyundai and Škoda. Drivers just set the time they want the car ready and leave the rest to the software.
Electricity flows one way only — from grid to car. Unlike vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems, Synergi doesn’t send power back. That decision keeps things simple, avoids extra costs, and works with any standard home setup.
The new Synergi app.
The Power of Parked Cars: The Critical Role of EVs
As wind and solar power grow, grids need ways to smooth out supply and demand. EVs fit that role perfectly. They’re large batteries that sit idle most of the day, plugged in and ready to charge when needed.
Synergi estimates that if just a third of Finland’s EV owners joined its service, they could provide around 280 megawatts of flexibility. That’s roughly one-third of the output of a Finnish nuclear reactor, or the same electricity used by more than 100,000 households.
The wider economic potential is even bigger. The company says that bringing households into flexibility markets could save Europe up to €2.7 billion a year in avoided generation costs.
Antti Hämmäinen, Synergi’s co-founder and CEO.
A European Trend in EV-VPPs
Synergi’s entry places Finland alongside other countries already experimenting with EV-based power plants.
In the Netherlands, Jedlix has been running an electric vehicle virtual power plant for several years. The company describes its platform this way: “Our Virtual Power Plant allows you to aggregate a wide range of electric cars into one asset pool and monetise their charging and discharging flexibility on energy and balancing markets.”
Jedlix partners with utilities across Europe to deliver fast-response power known as aFRR, the same service normally provided by gas turbines.
In the UK, Octopus Energy has taken a more consumer-led approach with its Intelligent Octopus Go tariff. It automatically charges cars when energy is cheapest and cleanest, promising “hands-free smart charging, with monthly discounts.” Drivers simply “set how much you’d like to charge up, and by what time — and we’ll handle the rest.”
Octopus doesn’t label this a virtual power plant, but the outcome is similar. By coordinating when thousands of vehicles charge, it smooths national demand and makes better use of renewable generation overnight.
Scaling for the Future
Synergi tested its system earlier this year with just over 100 drivers. The pilot showed that charging flexibility didn’t disrupt daily routines and that financial rewards encouraged users to plug in earlier and stay connected longer — a small behavioural change with a big system impact.
“We’re building a future where households play a central role in energy flexibility,” says Harri Iisakka, Synergi’s co-founder and COO. “Becoming the first provider in Finland to join the NODES and FinFlex marketplace brings us one step closer to deploying Synergi’s Virtual Power Plant to help balance the Finnish electricity grid — and to reward the households on our platform for their contribution.”
The company now plans to expand the model beyond EVs to include heating, cooling and home batteries, with a wider European rollout to follow.
A Quiet Energy Revolution
Behind the industry terms like “demand response” lies a clear shift. Electricity is no longer a one-way transaction between big generators and passive consumers. The grid is becoming a living network of small, flexible assets — and millions of EVs are its newest participants.
For drivers, that means lower bills and cash rewards. For utilities, it’s a cheaper, cleaner way to stabilise power networks without building new infrastructure.
The Road Ahead
Synergi’s service is the first of its kind in Finland, rewarding drivers directly for helping balance the grid. Globally, it’s part of a growing trend. Jedlix has shown that EV flexibility can operate as a tradable market product. Octopus has shown that convenience and savings can drive consumer uptake. Synergi is now trying to combine both.
The challenge will be scale. Europe’s electricity markets are still built around traditional generators, not millions of micro-participants. Integrating household flexibility will require better coordination, clearer data sharing and supportive regulation.
Still, the direction is set. The virtual power plant is moving from theory into daily life. As EV ownership grows, parked cars could soon double as miniature grid assets — earning their keep long after the engine’s been switched off.
