Electric vehicles of various manufacturers can be operated by means of eMobility services. (Source: Bosch Software Innovations)
More than 700 electric and hybrid cars will be operated in fleets in two German regions under the Get eReady project, which aims to conduct research into electric mobility in practice. This field test should determine what factors are the most important for an economically efficient operation of electric vehicle fleets.
As it is still unclear whether electric vehicles can be operated efficiently in practice, many fleet operators hesitate to include and use them in their fleet. Within the framework of the large-scale fleet test, requirements on the charging infrastructure and mobility services shall be identified and business models shall be developed. Get eReady is supported by three industry partners from various branches. They contribute know-how on charge columns, information and communication technologies, and fleet management. The Karlsruhe Service Research Institute (KSRI) of KIT will focus on scientific aspects and analyze user acceptance. Furthermore, it will evaluate and adapt business models.
Get eReady is geared towards commercial, public, and non-commercial fleet operators with at least ten vehicles. Some of their vehicles are planned to be replaced by electric vehicles, if they can be used in an economically efficient manner, i.e. on short routes in a defined region and in case of high utilization rates. In agreement with the project participants, the partners of Get eReady will establish a broad infrastructure of charging stations. This supply network will be compatible with all mobile end devices currently available on the market as well as with internet-connected charge spots. The aim is to make the power supply in publicly accessible spaces easier for electric vehicles to reach. The charging stations will be placed at locations where they can also be used by third parties. The intelligent networking technology developed by Bosch Software Innovations allows for access to the power grid and individual invoicing with operators.
As electric vehicles require high investments by many fleet operators, the project participants will receive a subsidy that can be used to purchase a new electric vehicle. In addition, they are offered a free assessment of their current fleet operations.
The Get eReady project is one of about 40 projects under the Baden-Württemberg Showcase program “Living BWe Mobil”. As part of the German Federal Government’s Showcase Initiative, it will be funded with EUR 4.7 million by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. In April 2012, the Federal Government selected four regions in Germany as e-Mobility Showcases. German Parliament has decided that these regions will receive funding for research and development of alternative drive train technology. In total, German Government will provide funding in the amount of EUR 180 million for the Showcase program. In large-scale regional demonstration and pilot projects, electric mobility will be tested at the interface of energy system, vehicle, and transport system.