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

  • Detection analysis technology successfully predicts traffic flows
    February 3, 2012
    David Crawford investigates new detection analysis technology from IBM. Locations on both the East and West Coasts of the US are scheduled for early deployments of IBM's new Traffic Prediction Tool (TPT) statistical analysis model for the fine-time resolution and near-term prediction of road flow conditions. Developed by IBM's Watson Research Laboratories, TPT is designed to analyse data from the the key detection indicators - average vehicle volumes and speeds passing a location in a given time interval -
  • California aims to generate electric power from traffic congestion
    April 20, 2017
    California is planning a US$2.3 million initiative that will generate electrical power from traffic, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The California Energy Commission recently voted to fund two piezoelectricity projects, which convert pressure into power. One pilot will test a 200-foot-long piece of asphalt on UC-Merced’s campus, which is designing a 200-foot stretch of asphalt that will be sowed with inch-wide piezoelectric generators, which will be stacked within arrays below the road where it is
  • Siemens exits EV charging market
    September 4, 2013
    According to the Wall Street Journal, Siemens is to exit its electric vehicle (EV) charging points business, as demand and market development turned out weaker than expected. Despite a government plan to see one million registered electric cars on German roads by 2020, consumers haven't been keen about such vehicles. Last year for instance, only 4,157 e-cars were newly registered in Germany, bringing the total to 7,112.
  • CCAM innovation at ITS World Congress 2021
    September 27, 2021
    We live in an era of increasingly cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) but there’s still a huge way to go - visitors to ITS World Congress in Hamburg will be able to see projects, innovations and real-life solutions showcased in the city