A whole host of automotive manufacturers are presenting new models, prototypes and projects featuring electric motors at this year’s International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. And that with good reason: Electric vehicles are a pioneering alternative in the world of green and sustainable future mobility. E.ON is already working hard to develop solutions for the necessary infrastructure today.

The benefits of electro-mobility are obvious. Electric vehicles currently produce about 75 grams of CO2 per kilometer based on the current E.ON power plant mix. This already puts the CO2 emissions of electric cars significantly below the 120 gram limit due to be enforced by the EU in 2012. Over the next few years, E.ON is investing several billion euros in expanding its use of regenerative energies. As a result, the indirect CO2 emissions of an electric car powered by E.ON electricity will be reduced even further.

Electric vehicles are also top notch performers when it comes to operating costs. Measured on the consumption of one of today’s electric cars, “gas costs” are just € 3 to € 4 per 100 kilometers – considerably less than current petrol or diesel engines.

Two field tests blazing a trail into the future

BMW and E.ON are among the first companies in Germany to demonstrate in practice that electric vehicles could become a real alternative to cars with conventional combustion engines. Since July 2009, 15 MINI E’s have been cruising Munich’s streets as part of a field test, and E.ON is providing test users with recharging options in the city and in their home garages. This offers the companies involved in the project valuable insights into the requirements and expectations of the test drivers – something which is then used in the development of future products and services.

On top of that, E.ON has also joined forces with Volkswagen and other partners to carry out a cooperation project for testing the VW Golf TwinDrive. This car is a so-called “Plug-in hybrid”, which means that it combines a combustion engine with an electric motor. The car’s lithium ion battery is not only charged from brake energy re-generation, but can also be “filled up” from a normal electrical outlet as well as with energy from the integrated combustion engine while on the road. As part of this project, which is supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, E.ON is also investigating other options for using vehicles’ batteries as electricity storage in the fu-ture.

Smart grids for future mobility 

Germany’s Federal Government is aiming to get at least one million electric cars on the country’s streets in the next ten years. When it comes to charging the cars, smart infrastructure is essential for securely and affordably covering the increased energy demand. The vehicle batteries should be charged in periods when there is an electricity surplus. This allows electro-mobility to play its part in making better use of the naturally fluctuating electricity generated by renewable energies. Smart grids are essential to this process. They are able to start charging batteries if there is a large volume of electricity from wind and solar power plants being fed into the system at times of usually low consumption. In addition, these grids even make it possible to feed electricity from electric cars back into the network at peak consumption times.

When it comes to developing the required network infrastructure, it is therefore not just about whether and how the existing distribution networks have to be expanded to allow a large number of electric vehicles to be “filled up”. The focus is much more on developing smart grids which are capable of managing the “electricity tanks” and the process of feeding electricity back into the network. Smart meters will also have a key role to play in this. They represent the vital interface between charging stations and electricity networks. E.ON has already rolled out this type of smart meter in a number of countries, including Germany where a wide ranging field test is being conducted in Bavaria.

Close cooperation between science and industry

A range of challenges still have to be overcome before electric cars are ready for daily use. Development work is required on the vehicles to make batteries more efficient, smaller and better value for money. Until electric cars have been introduced on a wid-er scale, it is imperative that scientists, energy companies, automotive manufacturers and battery producers work closely together. E.ON is already involved in establishing consistent international standards for connections and cables.

In addition, we are also complementing development work in house with cooperation projects involving well-known scientists. The Institute for High Voltage Technology from RWTH Aachen is analyzing the necessary adjustments to distribution networks as part of the VW project. Other partners include the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research. E.ON is also working closely with institutes from the technical universities in Munich and Karlsruhe.