Features
15 Nov 17

Siemens invests in ubitricity's e-mobility solutions

Siemens Energy Management and ubitricity have decided to work together on the development of innovative solutions and business models in e-mobility. TO this end, Siemens has acquired part of the Berlin-based company. 

Ubitricity is a provider of intelligent charging and billing solutions. Its digital platform enables new business models in the area of energy services for e-mobility. Together, Siemend and ubitricity will develop new products and business models for smart cities, fleet operators, and other industries. 

Specialist partnerships
Since the electric mobility market and the associated interfaces with the electricity network and renewables energies will continue to grow in importance, Siemens aims to cover this market by entering into partnerships with specialists. 

With complementary offers such as charging infrastructure, billing and smart grid solutions, the demands of future markets will be better served. This plan is also underlined by the current investment in ubitricity. 

Electricity meter
“Ubitricity technology uses digitalisation in the energy field in a targeted manner and opens up completely new business models in the future market of energy services for electromobility”, Moritz Ingerfeld, Head of Business Development eCharging at Siemens Energy Management justified the investment. 

At the core of the ubitricity solution is a mobile electricity meter. Integrated into an intelligent charging cable with secure mobile communication, it automatically activates charging processes, records the consumption data for each specific vehicle, and sends these for billing to an energy data platform. The basis for this is an electricity contract that is concluded for the cable.

Lamppost-integrated
Since part of the technology that is usually installed in charging stations is already integrated into the charging cable, the charging points are correspondingly cheap and small. The latter fact allows, for example, affordable large-volume installations in real estate and the simple integration of charging cables in street furniture such as streetlights. In London, ubitricity is currently installing lamppost-integrated charging points for residents (pictured), in cooperation with several districts and companies.

Charging processes can be controlled in a targeted manner by means of the mobile electricity meter, in order to charge vehicles in accordance with the current capacity of the electricity network. As decentralised storage for renewables energy, EVs therefore can be integrated into the smart grid.

Image: Ubitricity

Authored by: Frank Jacobs