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- The project has demonstrated a European framework that connects all stakeholders for a seamless, cost-efficient, and interoperable electromobility ecosystem.
Starting in 2011, the project developed prototypes to connect the islands of electromobility existing at the time. Enel and Endesa have formed part of the project since it was launched in 2011 with the objective of ensuring a successful and rapid spread of electric vehicles and a coordinated and massive development of electric mobility in Europe. An overarching ICT architecture was defined and standards, especially for ICT interfaces were set. New business models for public charging infrastructure were analysed and ways shown for its optimised integration into the grid. Within 10 demo regions and 2 replication regions Green eMotion demonstrated that the project findings really works in practice and are also supporting the setup of an electromobility environment from the scratch. The project results got presented at the 3rd EU Electromobility Stakeholder Forum and a special event for municipalities, authorities and politicians this week in Brussels.
“Only by bringing together the common experience of the 42 partners - industrial companies and automobile manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, universities, and technology & research institutions - the excellent results of Green eMotion could be achieved. To define and implement an interoperable electromobility system, the cooperation of all electromobility stakeholder groups was necessary. I have to thank all the partners for the really great teamwork in our project”, said Heike Barlag from Siemens, the project coordinator of Green eMotion.
To allow convenient EV traffic throughout Europe, a standardised, interoperable electromobility system is required, creating new business cases and making investments future-proof. Green eMotion has defined the European ICT architecture that is needed to ensure a proper connection of all market participants. It will allow open and convenient access by EV drivers to public charging infrastructure. The ICT systems of all participating companies are networked by means of a so-called marketplace. While users get easy access to charging infrastructure independent of the equipment operator, service providers can offer their services to all market participants. In addition, value-added services like reserving a charging point can make e-driving a more convenient experience.
As quite a number of EVs is now available on the market, it becomes apparent that not only the costs of the car, but also the investments in the required infrastructure hinder a quicker upswing of electromobility. A major result of the Green eMotion project: while economies of scale must substantially lower the price of batteries in the coming years, public charging as a sole business case can only be profitable within such mid-term business scenarios, if there are highly frequented charging stations. However, a combination with other services in places of high interest will improve the business case. Costs for grid integration of charging infrastructure can be significantly reduced by intelligent ways of controlling the charging time and power. Smart EV charging management can also optimise the integration of intermittent renewable output such as solar and wind by aggregating and controlling the power demand for so-called load areas.
To enable a mass roll-out of electromobility in Europe, social acceptance is a prerequisite. Social profitability in regards to actual benefits and costs for all players in the EV ecosystem may be reached soon. Only with clear commitments from all levels of policymakers, from the municipality level to the national and European level, will a holistic and consumer friendly future mobility incorporating EVs happen. Incentives and the installation of a suitable public charging infrastructure will be required. All measures should be aligned with the needs of target groups like commuters or owners of fleets to achieve a maximum impact with the lowest possible costs.
Since defining Europe-wide standards for electromobility was a primary objective of the project, the test of their practical usability was a major goal for Green eMotion. In the Green eMotion demonstrations all 12 demo regions were connected to the marketplace and the feasibility of this solution, especially for roaming between all the demo regions, was successfully demonstrated. Due to the multitude of local electromobility projects the awareness and experience of the customers was increased. Feedback on solutions for enhancement of driver’s convenience, such as easy location of suitable charging stations or easy access to public chargers, was very positive. Technical issues like integration of renewable energy sources and power quality aspects were analysed by the technical experts under real-life conditions. The standards developed and tested by Green eMotion have become de facto standards for electromobility in Europe.
About Green eMotion: the project’s 42 partners have joined forces to explore the basic conditions that are needed for Europe-wide electromobility. The primary goal of the project was to demonstrate an interoperable electromobility system with easy access to charging infrastructure all over Europe. Such a system is only feasible with standards that can be adopted internationally. To this end, practical research is being conducted in different demonstration regions all over Europe with the aim of developing and demonstrating a commonly accepted and user-friendly framework that combines interoperable and scalable technical solutions with a sustainable business platform. The project is funded by the EU and runs until February 2015.