Future Fleet – Integrating electric and plug-in hybrid cars in company vehicle fleets

Electric mobility is only sustainable when operated with renewable energy

Future Fleet is one of the German federal government’s eight pilot projects on electromobility. Within this project software producer SAP AG, Walldorf, and MVV Energy Group, Mannheim, replace parts of their company vehicle fleet with electric cars. The project’s object is to analyse the environmental benefits, efficient fleet management schemes as well as user acceptance. Electric mobility is only sustainable if operated with renewable energy sources. Therefore the electric vehicles used will initially be run by contractual acquired green energy. Later on photovoltaic systems on the parking garage roofs will provide the required energy.  

Reduced range requires new utilisation concepts

As long as there is no global infrastructure for replacing batteries or directly inducting power from outside the car while driving, the reduced range will remain the main issue concerning electric mobility. According to experts this is not likely to change considerably in the medium term. Promoting electric mobility therefore requires innovative concepts of vehicle utilisation. Beside carsharing, which has always been based on the jointly usage of vehicles, using electric cars in company fleets, as in Future Fleet, is worth considering, given that here users’ mobility schemes and vehicle ranges can be aligned to meet situational demands.  

Cars as constituent parts of the power grid

In the medium term the services electric cars can provide for the power grid will be another relevant issue, such as using them as storage facilities for low priced amounts of energy. Furthermore vehicle batteries could be recharged at night, when unused renewable power is available at low costs, while inducting power into the grid to compensate load fluctuations as far as this does not interfere with vehicle use. This concept is referred to as vehicle-to-grid. Integrating electric vehicles in to the grid management requires commutation between vehicle and network technology, as well as capturing the amount of used and induced energy for pricing and billing. The project includes attempts of “controlled charging” whenever a high amount of green energy is available on the electricity market.

Acceptance and User Behaviour…more

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