By IANS,
New York : German automobile giant Daimler and utility company RWE would launch a network of 500 charging stations for electric cars in Berlin in 2009.
Under the project, called “e-mobility Germany”, Daimler and its subsidiary Smart would provide 100 electric cars from its Mercedes Benz and Smart brands, as well as service for the cars while RWE would handle the development, installation and operation of the charging stations, CNET.com reported Tuesday.
The cars would have communication equipment that would allow consumers to charge their cars at different stations and be billed to one account.
The charging stations would be installed at customers’ homes as well as public spaces, such as offices, shopping centres, and parking lots.
“In addition, business-to-business partners such as shopping centres, car park operators and fleet customers can be connected into the infrastructure,” said Juergen Grossmann, CEO of RWE in a statement.
The electric cars’ lithium-ion batteries will be optimised for rapid charging and longer range and the battery technology would also be used in a Mercedes hybrid model S 400 BlueHYBRID to be launched next year, the companies said.
The project is being financially supported by German government agencies and is modelled on a similar Daimler project in London.
“Our joint initiative is a good example of what can be achieved when policy makers, energy suppliers, and the automotive industry all work together toward the same goal,” said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Daimler board, in a statement.
RWE said that it would also be possible for the energy stored in the vehicle to be fed back into the supply network. This means that the vehicle battery will store electricity when demand is low and feed this electricity back in the network when demand is high.