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Let’s change our mobility behaviour!

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

As the world is changing and the population is growing continuously, the carbon footprint we leave behind grows bigger and bigger as well.

Therefore we need to rethink how to get from A to B with the least possible pollution impact. So how do we do that? The answer lies in sustainability. Using green electricity for fuel to go from one place to another. At the moment, everyone wants to use their own transport vehicle. They fill up the streets since only a few people occupy each vehicle, and this creates a lot of traffic, which then creates even more pollution, as fuel driven cars, busses and trucks let out a lot of carbon dioxide, when waiting at the traffic light.

Now we all need to reconsider the need for transportation and think about the option of going by public transportation instead. Most of the time we’re actually going the same way and we always hate sitting in traffic and wasting time. Time that could be better spend with family and friends.

So what if we changed our mobility behaviour and started using the public transportation? 
Many busses use fossil fuels. But what if we could boast about the public transportation in a whole city purely driven by electricity? The biggest issue with electromobility is the access to charging stations and the distance to travel on a single charging. But we need to dream big and have big goals for the future we want to go in and redesign towns. We need to make sure that the future generations can live and breathe clean air. This is what the transport system should enable.

Improved accessibility and mobility for all
In relation to the BBC series about redefining public transportation, that will be created in collaboration with UITP (The International Association of Public Transport) Simon Shelley, the Vice President of Programme Partnerships for BBC StoryWorks says:

“As we look towards the future of public transport, improved accessibility and mobility for all will play a critical role in the quality of life for both passengers and transport workers – the people at the heart of urban mobility. The story of public transport is that of a passionate and innovative community….”  CarMedialab supports this vision and offers software systems that give people access to the new mobility. Let’s get it on and use public transport!

Hallå där ute!

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

MOBILEcharge now also speaks Swedish. With our charging management, we contribute our know-how for reliable operation of electric buses. Initially, 12 e-buses will be charged at the brand-new depot of Gamla Uppsala Buss AB (GUB). In addition to the planning system, we will also integrate the network operator’s transformer station and, of course, ensure automated preconditioning of the vehicles. In keeping with the motto: “Are you still charging or are you already driving?” 

Uppsala, Sweden

How to keep track of your vehicle performance in real-time

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

Comprehensive daily vehicle monitoring with MOBILEvhm
Visualizing the performance of your vehicles in real-time, accessing important performance data (operating hours, filling status and energy consumption, error codes and a lot more) and improving the vehicle performance by use of these data – you can do all that with MOBILEvhm (Vehicle Health Management). It allows full-scale day-to-day monitoring of your fleet when in operation.

With just one vehicle monitoring system you can keep track of your whole diesel or battery-driven fleet of buses and check their performance at all times, regardless of the vehicle manufacturer. In this demonstration, you will discover just how much MOBILEvhm can help improve the performance of your entire fleet.

To the Video

Electricity vs. Hydrogen

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

Why electricity is simpler to use than hydrogen as propellant in cars
To get a non-emission fueled car moving, you need energy. This energy we can harness from the sun or wind and store in batteries, which we then can use to propel our cars. There are many ways to do this, but why not choose the simpler way, with fewer steps from energy source to consumer? 

In comparison: Electricity vs. Hydrogen as a renewable energy source for cars

From water it comes, to water it shall again become
Using Hydrogen to fuel cars is clever. You can extract the Hydrogen form water, and there will only be water-emissions from the car. This is great and green. However, the procedure to procure the Hydrogen and make it fit for cars to drive on is somewhat elaborate.

You use the energy from the sun to make heat, which you will then use to split the Hydrogen from water. Then you need someplace big to store the Hydrogen until you can transport it by truck to the charging points, where it will have to be stored again. In the car, the Hydrogen will have to be stored yet again in the tanks and be used to generate electricity to propel the car. This process sums up to at least five steps from the energy source to the end consumer.

But why go through all these steps to make an electric car run, when you can use only two steps and get the same result?

From sun to power
With an all-electric car, you just plug it in the charging stand, and the battery will be charged almost directly from the sun. By using electricity to power your car, you can benefit from the already present, and rapidly evolving, infrastructure of harnessing power from the sun and wind. These energy sources are never-ending and therefore sustainable. And what is more important, the energy that they procure does not have to be stored at length to be of use. It is transported directly into the exciting power grid, from where it is ready for the taking.

By omitting a lot of steps in the process of power to consumers, it will only become more affordable to drive on the wind – so to speak. Electricity is the way to go for cars and busses, however, airplanes, ships, and heavy-duty trucks among others are not yet suitable for batteries. For that kind of vehicle, Hydrogen might be the way forward if we are to make a greener and more sustainable future of transportation. 

Woman charging a electric car at a charging station

OCPP compliance for EV charging stations

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

By 2030, major countries like Germany and Great Britain will have set sales target for how many electric vehicles (EV) are sold and even limiting the number of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles sold. To reach these targets, governments are incentivizing the public to purchase electric cars by providing subsidies such as tax credits to consumers.

Charging an electric car at a charging station, with the use of OCPP
Charging an electric car at a charging station, with the use of OCPP

The major concern of drivers, who were surveyed about their concerns with EVs, is that there is a limited number of available public charging stations accessible on their route of travel. Nobody wants to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, leaving them with no other option than being towed away. The distance between EV charging stations are still far apart, and the average range of EVs are still less than that of ICE vehicles. Thus, the electrification of the roadway infrastructure affects the decision of choosing between an EV and ICE vehicle directly.

Overcoming this issue will be a matter of installing more EV charging stations. Governments are encouraging companies to install charging stations on site for their employees to charge their cars while at work. They subsidize the purchase so the cost is as low as possible for the new buyer of an electric car.

This potential increase in EV sales will motivate more charging station manufacturers to enter the market. So how do you keep your position in the market and how do you make sure that you’re not being overtaken by a newcomer?

Compliance is key
When EV charging stations become more ubiquitous, the main challenge will be to avoid too many overlapping standards. Different types of charge management systems will limit the number of electric vehicles that can be served by each supplier. This will make the infrastructure even more complex as different types of charging points need to be setup.

If the charge management system are all run on OCPP-compliant software, Smart charging according to the ISO 15 118 standard standard will provide much more flexibility, thus different charging stations can be setup in different locations giving the driver a sense of security, since they will always be able to charge their vehicle.

Therefore, it’s important as a manufacturer to make sure that their charge management system as well as the charging points are OCPP compliant. That way we make smart charging accessible to everyone and we can help governments reach their targets even earlier than 2030.

Let’s do this!

Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr to start charging with MOBILEcharge

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

80 electric buses will be charged in the future using 52 charging points in 4 depots with theMOBILEcharge charging management system fromCarMedialab. In addition to a customer-specific charging plan, MOBILEcharge supportsrnv in real-time monitoring of the entire charging infrastructure and maintains an overview of the charging processes and health status of the charging points at all times.


rnv Ebus
rnv electric buses will in future be charged using MOBILEcharge charging management system

Interoperability is also required in this project. Among other things, VDV 463 for a connection to the existing depot management system and VDV 261 for preconditioning are components of this installation. 

We are pleased to be working with rnv on an innovative project.

Charge management introduced in North Carolina

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

First US company implements INIT’s electromobility solution
Numerous orders from all over Europe, inquiries from across the world and now the first order from the US: The INIT Group’s electromobility solutions are in high demand. GoRaleigh, the public transport company in North Carolina’s capital Raleigh, is currently introducing the smart charge management system to efficiently and cost-effectively charge its recently launched electric bus fleet.

By utilising MOBILEcharge from INIT’s subsidiary CarMedialab, the public transport company will automate charging processes, efficiently manage power demands, align service schedules, and proactively maintain their new e-vehicles. The integration with GoRaleigh’s ITCS and planning systems will allow for real-time charging plan updates according to operational needs, ensuring vehicles are charged in an economical and efficient manner.

E-bus_©GoRaleigh
GoRaleigh’s electric buses will be cost-effectively charged and efficiently operated thanks to INIT’s charge management system.

Monitoring charging activities
GoRaleigh will use the system to monitor and coordinate charging activities and ensure electricity limits are not exceeded. They will also be able to categorise the services a vehicle may need to perform (e.g., distinguishing between states of charge suitable for a full-day versus rush-hour assignment), so those plans can be easily implemented again in the future. Even more, GoRaleigh will benefit from reduced electricity costs and improved operational efficiency.

Getting the order from North Carolina means INIT can support yet another company in charge management and operations of an e-bus fleet. In recent times, transport providers in Leipzig (Germany), Bergen (Norway) or Deventer (the Netherlands) have relied on MOBILEcharge for effectively charging their electric vehicles.

Raleigh on their way to an emission-free fleet
The comprehensive functionalities of the INIT solution align with the public transport company’s goal to transition 70% of its fleet to zero or near-zero emissions by 2023. Due to the system’s scalability, it will easily be possible to adapt it to operate a growing fleet of e-buses effectively.

To David Eatman, Assistant Director, City of Raleigh Department of Transportation, this is an important factor on their road to green mobility: “Our partnership with INIT will allow us to intelligently manage the charging process for our e-buses, and realise cost savings through efficient load management and prioritisation according to operational needs.”

Why does charging have to be intelligent and smart?

Written by admin on . Posted in Public Transport.

Because it saves costs, is easier to manage and reduces risks. As an expert in vehicle data and charging technologies combined with our deep understanding of charging management, we are here to assist you handle and deploy your electric fleet.

Read more about our view on smart charging, preconditioning, standardization and how to scale your electric vehicle deployment here:

CarMedialab: how smart charging helps PTO to scale up electric bus deployment. An interview with General Manager Heiko Bauer