ar giant Daimler and German utility RWE will launch a network of 500 battery-charging stations next year for a trial meant to give electric car drivers the freedom to power up on the go.
The 'e-mobility Berlin' project will see Daimler and its Smart wing supply 100 electric city cars. RWE will install and run the charging stations in Berlin.
The cars will be equipped with communication equipment that will allow consumers to have their cars charged at different locations and billed to one account. Although the exact models are yet to be confirmed, the Smart Ed is a natural choice and Daimler told SmartPlanet an electric version of an A or B-class Mercedes Benz could also be used.
Charging stations are expected to be installed at people's homes as well as public spaces, such as offices, shopping centers, and car parks.
The cars' lithium-ion batteries (from an undisclosed supplier) will be optimized for rapid charging and longer range. Those same batteries will be used in a Mercedes hybrid model as early as next year, the companies said.
The effort, modelled on a similar effort in London, is being financially supported by German government agencies as part of environmental policy.
Project Better Place, founded by former SAP executive Shai Agassi, is taking a similar approach in an effort to make electric car ownership more attractive.
It has signed on the governments of Israel and Denmark to test a system where electric car drivers in a restricted driving area can replace batteries in a network of stations.
Utility RWE said it envisions that car batteries from the 100 electric cars in Berlin could feed electricity back into the grid to lessen the load during peak times.
The 'e-mobility Berlin' project will see Daimler and its Smart wing supply 100 electric city cars. RWE will install and run the charging stations in Berlin.
The cars will be equipped with communication equipment that will allow consumers to have their cars charged at different locations and billed to one account. Although the exact models are yet to be confirmed, the Smart Ed is a natural choice and Daimler told SmartPlanet an electric version of an A or B-class Mercedes Benz could also be used.
Charging stations are expected to be installed at people's homes as well as public spaces, such as offices, shopping centers, and car parks.
The cars' lithium-ion batteries (from an undisclosed supplier) will be optimized for rapid charging and longer range. Those same batteries will be used in a Mercedes hybrid model as early as next year, the companies said.
The effort, modelled on a similar effort in London, is being financially supported by German government agencies as part of environmental policy.
Project Better Place, founded by former SAP executive Shai Agassi, is taking a similar approach in an effort to make electric car ownership more attractive.
It has signed on the governments of Israel and Denmark to test a system where electric car drivers in a restricted driving area can replace batteries in a network of stations.
Utility RWE said it envisions that car batteries from the 100 electric cars in Berlin could feed electricity back into the grid to lessen the load during peak times.
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