By Greentech Lead
Team: BPL Global,
a smart grid technology company, has joined hands with Freshmile, the Hager
Group, FAM Automobiles and the University of Technology in Belfort-Montbeliard
(UTBM) on the “Alsace Auto 2.0” project.
The project
will provide electric cars to end-users on a subscription basis, an electric
mobility service. The service is designed to optimize the impact of electric
vehicle charging on the electrical grid by aggregating the load and storage
capacities of the batteries and managing their charging patterns.
The Alsace
Auto 2.0 project will demonstrate the benefits of electric mobility applied to
rural commuting in the Alsace region of France. The project will roll out the
electric mobility service for 50 electric vehicles. Connection points will be
installed at home and at work for each commuter subscribing to the service.
The cost of
vehicle operation will be reduced by monetizing the load and storage capacities
of the batteries, lowering the monthly subscription fee for each electric
vehicle. The project also aims to validate the technical and economic approach
behind the electric mobility service, validating the business model.
“Freshmile
and BPL Global share the same vision for the value of mass market adoption of
electrical vehicles without compromising the electricity distribution grid.
Innovation in electric vehicles and advances in distribution automation
technology as well as Freshmile’s pioneering service offering should accelerate
the adoption of electric vehicles,” said Pete Londa, CEO of BPLG.
BPLG’s
Connected Energy smart grid solution suite for advanced distribution automation
will be used to manage the electric vehicle fleet as distributed load and
storage resources on the electrical network.
“We think
that the trailblazing of grid-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-grid capabilities are
crucial to providing cost effective services and demonstrating the distributed
virtual power plant approach. Success of the electric vehicle for the mass
market is only possible by ensuring smooth integration into the electrical grid
and by removing acceptance barriers for users,” said Arnaud Mora, CEO of
Freshmile.
Leading the
project, Freshmile operates the electric vehicle fleet and manages the battery
charging cycles with BPLG’s Connected Energy software solution, adapting to the
needs of the energy market. Intelligent charging stations are from The Hager
Group. The electric cars are provided by FAM Automobiles.