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Tag: emobility

All about VDV 261

Written by skrause on . Posted in Public Transport.

Anyone familiar with the field of public transport has certainly heard of the VDV 261 guideline. But what is VDV 261 actually?

What is VDV 261?
VDV 261 is a technical document published by the Association of German Transport Companies that describes how to ensure the data exchange necessary for the preconditioning of vehicles. This means, for example, that the temperature in the bus can be adjusted for passengers even before the bus departs from the charging station. And not just for one bus, but automatically for all buses.

Preconditioning leads to a longer range of battery-powered vehicles, since the energy needed to heat up or cool down the vehicles for the first time is not taken from the battery, but from the power grid. In short, VDV 261 increases comfort, increases range and saves time and therefore money, as processes no longer have to be done manually but are automated.

How does VDV 261 work?
VDV 261 describes how the value-added services of ISO 15118 must be used to automatically precondition vehicles during a charging process. Intelligent charging management enables so-called preconditioning, basically a “preparation” of the buses, via the existing charging infrastructure. There are various options for this, e.g. heating, cooling, ventilating. As soon as the electric bus is connected to a charging station, the data sent can be used to determine precisely whether preconditioning is required and, if so, in what form, so that the vehicle is ideally prepared at departure time. The challenge here lies in the smooth communication from the vehicle via the charging station to the charging management, as this communication chain must be encrypted and coordinated with all parties involved.

What is the benefit of VDV 261?
The VDV 261 interface helps to optimize planning and processes and to minimize potential risks. Because heating e-buses that are not currently connected to the charging station consumes a lot of energy and has a negative impact on the range. The bus is connected to VDV 261 during preconditioning at the charging station – so there is no need to worry about range. Passengers also experience more comfort as the temperature can be optimally prepared.

In addition to VDV 261, the standard VDV 463 is recommended – more information can be found at: https://www.carmedialab.com/en/vdv-463-makes-charge-planning-easy/.

Aachen’s “ASEAG” goes electric!

Written by akrause on . Posted in Public Transport.

Charging in the future with MOBILEcharge
The “Aachener Straßenbahn und Energieversorgungs-AG“, or „ASEAG“ (short for Aachen Tramway and Energy Supply Company), is soon charging their electric bus fleet with MOBILEcharge. Up to 150 charging points will be created in the ASEAG depot, which will work with VDV 463 and VDV 261, among others.

By the end of July 2023, milestones such as the establishment of a server instance, implementation of network requirements, certificate creation and provisioning, configuration of charging stations, communication tests and vehicle tests will be completed.

Click here for ASEAG: https://www.aseag.de/

We are very much looking forward to this collaborative project!

Well-established team for Smart Charging: ISO 15118 and OCPP 2.0.1

Written by akrause on . Posted in Public Transport.

Electromobility standards
ISO 15118 is responsible for communication between the charging station and an electric vehicle, OCPP for communication between the charging station and a central charging management system. They work hand in hand – and benefit from each other.

Why do the two standards rely on each other
Many charging systems use version 1.5 or 1.6 of OCPP. With ISO 15118 and the latest version of OCPP 2.0.1 in combination, the requested amount of energy is moreover sent to the charging station. This in turn forwards the information to the backend system. The two standards help make processes faster and easier for everyone. Without OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118 additional hardware or a mobile app to send information is required.

Smart charging in context
The more data provided and the more accurate the data from the e-vehicles, the better the central system can make decisions. That’s exactly what smart charging is. Smart charging also helps avoid the notorious peak loads in order to save costs. In addition, vehicles are no longer charged with too little energy, other charging users do not unnecessarily block stations, and time-consuming alternatives are eliminated.

With Smart Charging peak loads are avoided

Out Now: Our Tender Support for Charge Management System used in bus fleets

Written by akrause on . Posted in Public Transport.

Support for the preparation of tenders
Do you need assistance with the preparation of tenders? No problem. We have made use of our experience and prepared valuable something for you.

With our tender support, we created a guideline that leads you through all critical points and requirements to make your proposal for tenders successful.

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To the Tender Support

For more support, feel free to use our contact form or contact our responsible Sales Manager.

Contact details:

Maximilian Haag

maximilian.haag@carmedialab.com

Tel. +49 7251 7240-161

Recorded Webinar:
Vehicle Health Monitoring in New York

Written by akrause on . Posted in Public Transport.

CDTA, a company from New York reports about experiences and benefits.

A webinar was held with our Sales Manager Maximilian Haag together with the “Capital District Transportation Authority”, a regional mobility provider in Albany, New York. The company operates 275 fixed-route buses as well as paratransit vehicles, trolleybuses and electric vehicles. MOBILEvhm has improved the processes and communication there considerably, so that it has been easier to make the right decisions since then.   

The exciting webinar with a duration of only 23 minutes shows the challenges that have been overcome by using MOBILEvhm and lessons learned in managing the vehicle fleet. Watch the recorded webinar and feel free to ask us any questions.

Contact details:

Maximilian Haag

maximilian.haag@carmedialab.com

Tel. +49 7251 7240-161

White paper:
How to implement charge management successfully

Written by skrause on . Posted in Public Transport.

Benefit from our experience and implement an intelligent charging concept in your e-bus fleet. The following three factors will bring your project to success: Taking an iterative approach, maintaining close communication between those involved, ensuring that system components are interoperable, and having an experienced partner on hand will all play an essential role.

With its software application MOBILEcharge, CarMedialab is involved in a range of projects since 2019. More and more transport companies start to realize that managing a fleet with this new type of refuelling is so complex that it requires the help of an intelligent charging system.

Are you considering a transition to electric power for your bus fleet?

Read more in the white paper:

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Download

Good bus charging management is compatible with existing systems

Written by akrause on . Posted in Public Transport.

Future-proof charging management thanks to VDV-Normen
Users of our charging management system MOBILEcharge benefit from the interoperability of the software to efficiently charge many electric buses. But what does that mean exactly?

Interoperability generally means that a system can work together with other systems. If the system’s interfaces are open, collaboration can work with two or more programs or systems. Thus, multiple systems can be integrated without problems of access or implementation.

Interoperability enables the integration of existing systems

At Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (rnv) for example, e-buses, as well as passenger cars, are charged at four depots with over 100 charging points. Various interfaces ensure optimal functionality: VDV 463 between charging management and depot management system (DMS) at the customer’s site and VDV 261 for communication between charging management and vehicle to control preconditioning (Interior and battery are tempered in time). Compliance with these VDV standards enables a high degree of interoperability. GoRaleigh based in the USA also controls and monitors the charging activities of the e-buses with MOBILEcharge in connection with the control centre. Changes can be made permanent so that charging can always be carried out in a cost-saving manner.

Conveniently charge and monitor e-buses
Through our charging management system MOBILEcharge, all charging processes can not only be primarily controlled but also monitored in real-time. Charging with reduced amperage increases battery life while lowering overall energy demand.

Your contact person:
Maximilian Haag
Phone +49.7251.7240.161
maximilian.haag@carmedialab.com