Virtual Green Highway for Electric Vehicles between Vienna & Bratislava (via IBM & ZSE)

IBM has teamed up with Slovakia’s Zapadoslovenska energetika, a. s. (ZSE), the largest distributor and supplier of electricity in the country, to implement a smart energy feasibility study aimed at preparing Slovakia’s capital city of Bratislava for electric vehicles (EVs) and finding possibilities for connecting Bratislava and Vienna with publicly available electric vehicle charging stations.

The study will use e-mobility technology and is part of a larger pilot project — VIBRATe’ (VIenna BRATislava E-mobility). This pilot project, “a first of its kind in Central Europe,” aims to reduce emissions with a smarter, more energy-efficient transportation system.

“IBM Slovakia is teaming with ZSE to provide insights into various implementation scenarios and infrastructure options for charging,” an IBM news release states. “Together, the companies are investigating charging station locations for normal and rapid charging across the borders, as well as analyzing networking availability. This insight will allow ZSE to strategically place charging stations in areas that are convenient for consumers, without straining the distribution system, an issue caused by unpredictable charging across territories.”

“Rising fuel prices and energy consumption are two major issues facing many cities around the world, these factors coupled with aging roads and infrastructures, can affect city planning, local economy, and overall community satisfaction,” said Guido Bartels, General Manager of IBM’s Global Energy and Utilities Industry. “This mobility project with ZSE tackles all of these issues. It has the potential to introduce a modern, convenient and more intelligent way for consumers to commute, which in turn may encourage more to make the shift to an electric vehicle, while reducing stress on the energy grid.”

Grid Benefits from EVs & EV Charging Network

Aside from the environmental benefits, electric vehicles and a distributed EV charging network helps out electricity grid managers. The project above will help “utilities manage power load on the energy grid during peak charging times with better insight into consumption,” IBM notes. “Additionally, energy suppliers will have the ability to store energy for use when natural sources of energy are not available.”

Source: IBM