Berlin is getting an e-mobility upgrade this year, with a new project underway to install more than 1,600 EV charge points in the streets of the German capital as of 2019. ubitricity, a company dedicated to intelligent charging solutions, is leading the Neue Berliner Luft project, accompanied by research institutions TU Berlin and DLR and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
The initiative has been called ‘Sofortprogramm Saubere Luft’ which approximately translates to ‘Immediate Clean Air Program.’ And as the title suggests, the program is a part of a larger effort to decrease pollution, such as NOx emissions, in German cities. But the goal is not only to eliminate pollution, but to do it now. As CleanTechnica has reported, cities across the EU and Germany are being fined for unsafe pollution levels and are turning to diesel bans as part of the solution.
In Berlin, the Neue Berliner Luft project plans to install 1,000 public charge points. An additional 600 charge points will be contributed by project partner GASAG and installed in the private sector, in apartments or commercial buildings.
ubitricity has experience with these kinds of projects. The company faced similar challenges in London, where it has installed around 300 street-lamp charging points since 2016. ubitricity has developed a mobile electricity meter, and using a ‘SmartCable’ can digitally and remotely monitor charging and store data for billing or fleet management.
But of course, Berlin will have its own challenges. Germany is notoriously behind in terms of electrification and e-mobility. The EU Commission itself has mandated that Germany must update its charging infrastructure, or else face hefty fines and the further threat of a lawsuit. Suffice it to say they have their work cut out for them. The Neue Berliner Luft project’s now needs to enable access to the city’s entire charging infrastructure. It’s only just begun… we can’t wait to hear more as the project gets underway!
Photo by Niki Nagy via Pexels
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