At least 750 new electric and hybrid vehicles are planned to be operated in fleets in the regions of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe under the Get eReady project until 2015. The project is aimed at identifying success factors for an economically efficient operation of electric vehicle fleets. Get eReady is part of the Baden-Württemberg Electric Mobility Showcase program “LivingLab BWe mobil”. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is involved in this project coordinated by Bosch Software Innovations GmbH. The project is funded with EUR 4.7 million by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.
Other project partners are Athlon Car Lease Germany GmbH Co. KG, Heldele GmbH Elektro-Kommunikations-Technik, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
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.
Fleet operators who would like to participate in the project may contact Bosch Software Innovations by e-mail (emobility ∂does-not-exist.bosch-si com).
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.
Further information can be found at www.schaufenster-elektromobilitaet.org
Get eReady is part of the Baden-Württemberg Showcase “LivingLab BWe mobil”. Under this program, more than 100 partners from industry, science, and the public sector conduct research into electric mobility in practice. The large-scale research project is supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg. Project activities concentrate on the region of Stuttgart and the city of Karlsruhe and have attracted considerable international attention. With a series of interrelated projects, “LivingLab BWe mobil” stands for a systemic approach to making electric mobility, from the e-bike to the electric car to the electric transporter, to plug-in shuttle buses, accessible to everybody. The projects address aspects of intermodality, fleets, commercial traffic, infrastructure and energy, urban and transport planning, vehicle technology, communication, and participation as well as education and qualification. “LivingLab BWe mobil” is coordinated by the State Agency for Electric Mobility and Fuel Cell Technology e-mobil BW GmbH and the Stuttgart Regional Economic Development Corporation (WRS).
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