In this episode of Smart Charge by RiDERgy, we sit down with Davide De Michino, who is Global Head of Product Management and Energy Services at Enel X, and a leading voice in global e-mobility and grid integration. Davide also serves as Speaker of the Grid Integration & Energy Focus Group at CharIN and Chair of E-Mobility at SmartEN, placing him at the intersection of utilities, automotive, and regulatory transformation.

We explore his two-decade journey at Enel—from energy trading and smart home solutions to leading e-mobility and V2G innovation worldwide. Davide explains how vehicle-grid integration (VGI) is evolving, why CCS and ISO 15118-20 are critical for interoperability, and how standards, regulation and industry coordination will shape the next phase of electrification.

Key topics include:

• His evolution from trading and retail energy to global e-mobility leadership at Enel X
• CharIN’s role in defining global charging standards such as CCS and ISO 15118-20
• The complexity behind V2G adoption: from grid codes to DSO and TSO flexibility markets
• The Data Act, RED III and the future of vehicle data access and interoperability
• AC vs DC bidirectional charging and why 2026 could mark the commercial breakthrough
• Italy’s EV market: strong public infrastructure, high prices and a wave of new EV models
• Why AI and heavy-duty vehicle electrification will define the next energy era

Davide shares how new European grid codes, flexibility protocols such as OpenADR and IEEE 2030.5, and initiatives like the EU’s Vehicle-to-Grid sandbox proposal will accelerate the transition. He also discusses the cultural shift needed to engage end users—from fleets to households—and why trust, awareness, and simplicity will decide who wins in the new energy ecosystem.