Project description

Electric vehicles, such as passenger cars, scooters, Pedelecs and Segways, charging infrastructures as well as data and services for shared use pose a special challenge for technical, legal and economic reasons. In the course of the project, besides the general processing groundwork and development of this new research field, initial technical solutions for these shared-use mobility resources are being developed. The consortium is focusing on investigating the energetic and IT interfaces between users, vehicles and infrastructures. The development of solutions for these interfaces is viewed as crucial for the overall system of collectively used electric mobility resources.

Developing the research field of shared-use (electric) mobility resources for Fraunhofer

The main areas of development of the project comprise the energetic and IT interfaces. The following areas are seen as priorities to implement shared-use mobility resources: the development of information and communication technologies to ensure at the same time a high level of comfort and a high degree of reliability for the user as well as the development of an energetic interface in the form of inductive charging systems integrated into cities.

These interfaces are largely independent of basic vehicles and can thus be implemented with already existing vehicles and the available urban infrastructure. Based on the project, the next steps are to develop the vehicles as well as – surely a greater challenge – to coordinate them with each other. This will lay the foundation for the development of physical interfaces as well as the adaptation of the urban infrastructure. The implementation of the developments in scientifically monitored fleet tests will then highlight any further development needs.

The energetic and IT interfaces as core challenges of shared-use mobility resources

One characteristic of the project approach is to carry out an integrated examination of the three categories of mobility resources: “Vehicles“, “Charging infrastructure“, and “Data and Services” from the point of view of shared use. The approach focuses on the primarily energetic and IT interfaces which need to be set up. The system examined consists of three components.

 

  • Mobile device (Smartphone) as a personal communication device
  • Mobility data cloud for the central provision of data and services
  • Inductive, network-integrated charging infrastructure integrated into cities
  • Electric vehicle (passenger car, Segway) with an on-board unit as the central communication unit for collectively used vehicles (access, charge management, positioning of coils etc.)