ABSTRACT
Looking at e-mobility more broadly, the complexity of the paradigm change becomes even more evident. Electric vehicles require infrastructure for battery charging. While charging can partly be done at home or at the work place, there is a need for public charging stations as well. As charging takes time, it needs to be offered at public parking sites, which in densely populated areas creates challenges for urban planning. Another technological option is electromagnetic induction, whereby induction loops in the pavement generate a magnetic field which is used for wireless energy transfer. This again has far-reaching implications for road construction and requires huge infrastructure investments. Smart software systems can integrate vehicles in power grids to encourage charging outside peak load periods. Intelligent billing systems will have to be developed to charge respective energy consumption. While in the first stage of e-mobility development, the main challenge is to recharge batteries, gradually vehicle batteries should also be used for storage with the ability to feed energy back to the grid and buffer energy input fluctuations. ‘Larger fleets of vehicles could be linked into combined renewable power plants [. . .] and thus contribute to the continuity, cost reduction and improved marketability of electricity from renewable energy’ (Bundesregierung, 2009, p. 11). The two-way interaction between vehicles and the energy system requires the development of new information and communication technologies to ensure continuity of load supply and reduce reserve capacities.
