Paving the way for the integration of electromobility into the energy system
Over 30 project partners from the automotive and energy industries, IT and charging infrastructure as well as science have implemented over 12,000 charging processes in several independent field tests over a period of 3 ½ years and carried out scientific analyses in the context of networked e-mobility. The unIT-e² project shows cost and emission reduction potential for charging electric vehicles without noticeable restrictions for end customers. Customer surveys conducted during the field tests have also shown that interested parties and users of electric mobility need easily accessible, comprehensive and manufacturer-independent information. Overall, the consortium concludes that the successful integration of electric vehicles into the electricity grid requires a fundamental revision of the grid charging system and the associated European legal framework.
The research project was managed by FfE. Leading companies from the automotive industry such as the BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Volkswagen as well as grid operators such as Bayernwerk Netz, EWE NETZ and TenneT participated in the project. Other partners from industry such as Schneider Electric, EEBUS and PPC as well as research partners from various institutes and universities are also involved. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) funded the project with over 30 million euros.
After 3 ½ project years, the unIT-e² project came to an end on 31 January 2025. As part of a synthesis of results, the consortium used the findings to develop a series of concrete proposals and recommendations for policymakers, regulators, standardisation bodies and the industries involved. These have now been published in a results report. The document is supplemented by the reports of the four practice clusters, which specifically address the findings from the implementations.
The synthesis shows key recommendations for the integration of electromobility into the energy system: standards such as ISO 15118-20 must be further developed to enable applications suitable for the mass market. It is also advisable to ensure a sensible balance between cause-based and incentive-based mechanisms when reforming grid charges. Local energy management systems are essential for control at the grid connection point, and users need clear, manufacturer-independent information on technical functions and dynamic tariffs.
The research project has also shown that controlled and bidirectional charging can lead to a reduction in costs and emissions in the future energy system. This must be taken into account when developing political instruments and incentives.
The consortium can look back on successful project work. A large number of challenges were successfully solved, whereby it was also necessary to react to dynamically changing framework conditions during the course of the project or to actively help shape them – for example during the consultation on the amendment to Section 14a of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG), which came into force at the beginning of 2024.
Visit unit-e2 project website for further info: https://unit-e2.de/news/forschungs-und-umsetzungsprojekt-unit-e²-successful-completed