The carbon footprint of companies with field staff is most severely affected by mobility. In the case of GVB, commuting and business trips make up 71 % of its impact on the climate. With the goal of reducing CO2 emissions per employee by another 30 % compared to 2015, its most comprehensive and effective measure to date has been the conversion of its vehicle fleet into an e-fleet. For this purpose, 80 employees were furnished with a VW e-Golf.
Charging electric cars in the company car park
GVB commissioned Alpiq to provide the charging infrastructure required by the vehicle fleet. With the appropriate charging stations, we were able to meet the prerequisites for low-carbon mobility. In the underground garage alone, we installed 90 Wallboxes, which the employees can activate with an RFID card. As an e-Golf’s maximum charging capacity is 7.5 kW, the car can be charged for a 100 km journey in around two hours. Even though GVB employees only cover moderate distances, we installed an additional three DC fast charging stations right in front of the company building, so the vehicle can be ready for the next 100 km in just 20 minutes.
Energy management for e-mobility
Alongside the actual installation of charging stations and their connection to the building’s grid, it already became evident during planning of the project that, above all, an intelligent power supply would be necessary. To this end, we implemented an energy management system, specially developed for GVB: without increasing the existing connected load, this can cover the additional energy and output requirements and enables uninterrupted charging at the 90 charging stations. With smart load management equipment and browser-based software from Xamax, the charging stations can be easily monitored and controlled in a grid-compatible manner. By preventing peak loads, we save on expensive grid enhancement and protect the existing supply infrastructure without compromising comfort. The software enables high transparency with regard to energy flows, as required for DIN EN ISO 50001 certification.
E-fleet reaches climate targets faster
By means of a reliable charging infrastructure and smart energy management, we made it possible for GVB to be on the road almost non-stop with its e-fleet. As the employees also use their e-Golfs privately, our 24-hour service gives them special security and enables them to start experiencing electro-mobility with confidence. Thanks to each individual’s contribution, GVB is now expected to already reach its climate targets two years ahead of schedule.
