E-Aix: Electric Mobility in Aachen
Feasibility analysis “Regional centre for electric mobility” – Sustainable mobility concepts based on electric mobility and municipal utility infrastructures
Background:
For the funding priority “Electric mobility in model regions”, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure supports different research projects in eight regions with a total of € 115 million from Konjunkturpaket II. In the course of these projects, science, industry and municipalities are supposed to create infrastructures for electric mobility and to establish these in public spaces. This will contribute to reaching an important goal of the government: By 2020, one million electric vehicles are supposed to be in use on German roads because in combination with renewable energy, electric mobility benefits climate change mitigation. Another goal is to create a new mobility culture and a modern urban infrastructure.
Aims of the project:
This project aims to bring electric mobility to the streets of the StädteRegion with Aachen as the regional centre, to develop new mobility and infrastructure concepts, to create an “Electric mobility world of experience”, and to inspire the people.
Project contents and structure:
The participants of project “E-Aix: Electric Mobility in Aachen” wanted to develop, research, and implement sustainable mobility concepts based on electric mobility and existing infrastructure – e.g. municipal utilities – in a feasibility study. The mobility, infrastructure, and transport development models took different electric transport modes into account: Two-wheelers – electric scooters and bicycles –, four-wheelers, utility vehicles, and electric public service busses were researched in this project.
Aachen is particularly suitable as a model region to demonstrate the possibilities and perspectives of integrated electric mobility: As a regional centre, Aachen connects rural surroundings with a city which is home to both traditional and modern industry and whose universities make it a city of science. Its geographic closeness to Germany’s neighbouring countries constitutes special conditions, and the commuter traffic to the metropolitan areas of Cologne and Düsseldorf pose special challenges for sustainable mobility in Aachen.
The research project had three major points of focus: A cross-sectional project covered the effects of electric mobility on the energy grid, regional traffic, and urban infrastructures. The goal was to develop a transferrable process model using Aachen as an example. Project “two-wheelers” sought to set up a pedelec rental system and to research the operation of electric scooters and battery leasing. The project “utility vehicles” tested the use of battery-powered mini vans.
Sponsor:
Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)
Project duration:
November 2009 – June 2011
Project partners:
Stadtwerke Aachen Aktiengesellschaft (STAWAG)
Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG)
Innovationszentrum für Mobilität und gesellschaftlichen Wandel (InnoZ)
Institute of Power Systems and Power Economics (IAEW), RWTH Aachen University
Institute for High Voltage Technology (IFHT), RWTH Aachen University
Institut für Stromrichtertechnik und Elektrische Antriebe (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University
Institute for Machine Elements and Machine Design (IME), RWTH Aachen University
Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), RWTH Aachen University
Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen Aachen mbH (fka)
Hans Hess Autoteile GmbH (Hess-Gruppe)
Contacts at the ISB:
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dirk Vallée
Claudia Maximini, M. A.
Dipl.-Ing. Tobias Brandt