Skip to main content

Hertz - IBM initiative on smart charging initiative for EVs

Hertz On Demand, the global car sharing club, and IBM are together piloting a programme in Germany to advance electric vehicle (EV) mobility and user adoption through intelligent recharging solutions. In a special agreement, Hertz On Demand in Germany will supply electric vehicles to the car share fleet used by IBM employees to drive between Stuttgart Airport and the company's campus in Ehningen, about 30 km away.
May 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
5539 Hertz On Demand, the global car sharing club, and 62 IBM are together piloting a programme in Germany to advance electric vehicle (EV) mobility and user adoption through intelligent recharging solutions. In a special agreement, Hertz On Demand in Germany will supply electric vehicles to the car share fleet used by IBM employees to drive between Stuttgart Airport and the company's campus in Ehningen, about 30 km away.

Initially the electric cars provided by Hertz will be charged using decentralised generation of electricity on the IBM campus. The charging stations will be operated with intelligent IBM software that optimises the usage of generated power by renewable energies. Moreover, the software balances demand and availability of electricity power to prevent load peaks.

The companies are using this programme as a field test to gauge acceptance and practicability of the electric vehicle and the intelligent recharging infrastructure usage. Upon success of the pilot programme, they intend to add further electric vehicles to the Ehningen campus, as well as to extend the project to other IBM sites.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The sunshine subsidy for Colorado’s tollways
    January 10, 2014
    David Crawford reports on energy cost cutting on US highways. Just over a year after switch-on and with two global awards under its belt, the longest solar-powered toll road in the US is generating heightened interest in highway applications of alternative energy. The E-407, which loops around the eastern perimeter of the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado, won the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) President’s Overall Award for Excellence at its September 2013 Annual Meeting in
  • When caring about sharing is good business for US automakers
    October 28, 2015
    Although car-sharing and ride-sharing could drastically reduce car sales, David Crawford finds some US automakers are keen to participate in the sharing economy. Growing consumer interest in car- and ride-sharing, as opposed to outright ownership, and ride-sharer Uber’s recently stated intention to make its brand competitive with ownership on cost, are making the major US automotive manufacturers think seriously about their future sales prospects. Some have already begun exploring ways of entering the field
  • EVgo installs EV fast-chargers at six locations in Los Angeles
    November 19, 2018
    EVgo has expanded its deployment of electric vehicle (EV) fast-chargers to six locations across Los Angeles in a bid to accelerate adoption of the technology. EVgo says the power ratings from its fast-chargers range from 50 kW to 350 kW and is convenient for drivers using their EV for ride-sharing and those without home or workplace charging. The chargers are located at the following locations:
  • ChargeWheel sparks mobile EV charging in San Francisco
    April 8, 2019
    ChargeWheel has secured $1 million in funding to launch a mobile electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the San Francisco Bay Area. The network will be based on ChargeWheel’s mobile Energy Trailers, which don’t require a connection to the grid, and can therefore operate in any car park. The company says they offer a combined solar-powered generation and energy storage solution, and plans to deploy 100 in the Bay Area by the end of 2019. The units can simultaneously charge four EVs or up to 400 electric