The First Austrian Strategy Forum on the Future of Electromobility

On 10 to 11 June 2010, upon the invitation of the conference company Business Circle, Federal Minister Doris Bures (Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology), Dr. Hannes Ametsreiter (Telekom Austria and mobilkom austria), Wolfgang Anzengruber (Verbund) and Brigitte Ederer (Siemens AG Österreich) presented their strategies in Vienna for future mobility solutions within the setting of the 1st Austrian Strategy Forum on the Future of Electromobility.

Host Gerhard Pichler of Business Circle opened the event: "The Electromobility Strategy Forum 2010 acts as a pan-Austrian information and discussion platform with the leading decision makers and top representatives from the fields of politics, the economy and industry. We are presenting new mobility concepts of the future and innovative business models for the growth market of electromobility."

Minister for Infrastructure Doris Bures sees an enormous potential in electromobility, and indeed both for an environmentally friendly transport system and for the Austrian economy and employment. With the increasing of means for research and development and, starting now, for the market transition, she thus has her eye on three important goals. Firstly, technologically: It is intended that Austria’s businesses and research institutions feature in the European premiere league. Secondly, politico-economically: With an added value of 3 billion Euro and 175,000 employees, the automobile and automobile component industry is one of the most important sectors in the country. Innovation is the key to ensuring that the domestic automobile industry not only exists amid the current structural change, but that it also emerges from it much stronger.

And finally, environmental and transportation policy goals: The medium through to long-term transition from petroleum-driven mobility through to electromobility makes the entire transport system more environmentally friendly. Central to this is the intelligent linking-up of individual transport with the public transport system and, naturally, that the electricity comes from renewable electricity. "Thus, the goal is not just to bring as many hybrid and electric cars onto the roads as possible, but – above all – that the environmentally friendly mobility is also powered by Austrian technology and that we thereby create added value and jobs in Austria," emphasizes the minister for infrastructure.

Paving the Way for the Transport Revolution
Electromobility is the mobility technology of the future. Of the 4.3 million cars currently in existence in Austria, it is anticipated that every fourth vehicle will have an ecological, alternative engine by 2020. Experts estimate that, in the next twenty years, several million electric cars will already be buzzing over Europe’s roads. Amid this technological upheaval lie unimagined opportunities for the business and technology location of Austria.
Alongside ecological factors, the increasing energy requirement also counts among the central challenges of the 21st century. Since a global plus of 45 % is forecast by 2030, supply security is in greater demand than ever before. It is a scenario that necessitates new directions in mobility. It is for this reason that, together with strong partners from industry and research, Verbund is developing a complete system for electromobility within the framework of the specially founded Austrian Mobile Power.

The basic conditions are clearly defined. Oil reserve shortages go hand in hand with increasing energy consumption. Alone the transport sector within the EU-27 requires 73 % of the petroleum consumed in Europe, for example. However, it is not just in Europe that mobility is too one-sidedly dependent upon the resource of oil. "The transport sector thus offers the greatest potential for the substitution of petroleum with renewable energies," reiterates Verbund boss Wolfgang Anzengruber.

Electric cars in the smart grid of the future
As the world’s leading company for energy systems and environmental technologies, Siemens is carrying out intense research in the area of electromobility. The work does not focus exclusively on the demands on the electric car itself, but also on the design of the "Smart Grid" behind it.
Since electric cars have to fulfill a dual function as a means of transport and mobile energy storage, the energy and communication interfaces to the energy grid must be standardized in such a way that the coordination and billing of the rapid charging and energy recovery process can be carried out across the grid. It must be possible to link up, charge and tank electric cars everywhere. The power grid thus needs information about the many electric cars/consumers that are flexibly distributed throughout the grid: A communication between the electric car and power grid is necessary so that electric cars are able to be swiftly guided through the corresponding transport management system to the charging stations, for example.
Siemens’ vision for the Smart Grid is targeted at an energy supply grid with a new conception and administration: On account of the diverse new requirements, the hitherto static grid operation must be transformed into a living infrastructure that facilitates a flexible, transparent and mutually rapid communication between the supplier and the consumer. Alongside electromobility, the important drivers through to Smart Grid solutions are the integration of decentralized customer generation plants based upon regenerative, energy-efficient production, the creation of markets and the strengthening of trade, the reduction of grid operation costs through better utilization of existing operating resources, the anticipated increase in the consumption of electrical energy and the transparency of the energy consumption for the consumer. 

Charging up with electricity at phone booths as a step toward smart energy regulation
Early May saw Telekom Austria launch the first prototypes of a telephone booth with integrated charging station. During the course of the year, a total of 30 charging stations will exist throughout Austria for electric cars, electric scooters or electric bikes. Hannes Ametsreiter, director general of Telekom Austria and mobilkom austria, reiterates: "Telecommunication and IT will become an important building block for electromobility and smart energy regulation." He adds: "Using telephone booths as charging stations is a good example of how the telecommunications branch can deliver a fundamental building block for electromobility. The billing of the charged electricity is also new and trendsetting. IKT solutions will be reinforced for a responsible regulation of the utilized energy resources and therewith facilitate interoperable approaches."

In future, electric vehicles could also be elements of Smart Grids in which decentralized electricity production and storage is carried out, and telecommunications solutions are applied for the regulation and billing of resources. Hannes Ametsreiter is convinced that the infrastructure of telecommunications and energy supply companies will become more tightly knit in future. This can result in additional value for all involved companies, for the consumers and – above all – for the environment. The billing possibilities, that telecommunications companies already have, cover many of the requirements for the billing of electricity from Smart Grids since it is possible to bill both small units as well as time and also volume-based amounts. Electric vehicles will be charged from various locations. By means of the mobile payment solution of paybox, the consumed units can be billed to the consumer without complication.