Electric Vehicle Fleet for Garmisch-Partenkirchen

As part of the “elektromobilisiert.de” project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO and the Institute for Human Factors and Technology Management IAT at the University of Stuttgart are examining the effects of integrating electric vehicles into Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s existing fleet. The project complements the e-GAP activities of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in its role as an electromobility model community.

In a time of climate change and debate over the functionality of electromobility, the mountain resort community of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in southern Germany is taking yet another groundbreaking step forward: in a six-month fleet test lasting from June to November 2013, the research partners’ e-mobility experts will assess the potential of upgrading the local authority’s own fleet to make it electric. Dr. Sabine Wagner, head of Fraunhofer IAO’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen branch lab, today got things moving by presenting First Mayor Thomas Schmid with the keys to the electric vehicles to be used in the test.

Mayor Schmid’s expectations from the “elektromobilisiert.de” project go beyond just getting advice about the future makeup of his community’s vehicle pool. He is also delighted at the chance both to give his employees a real taste of e-mobility and to enhance Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s role as an electromobility model community.

“Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s attitude toward e-mobility makes it a trend setter. We hope that other innovative communities and companies will take their cue from what is happening here,” says Wagner.

Dr. Christoph Ebert, project coordinator for the electromobility model community program, adds: “Through e-GAP, we’ve been able to turn Garmisch-Partenkirchen into a platform for applied research and development in the area of electromobility. We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to work even more closely at a local level with such an important partner as Fraunhofer IAO.”

Software developed by Fraunhofer IAO will be used to evaluate the existing fleet’s logbooks to help determine the potential for making the community’s fleet electric. This analysis will also take into account such factors as range and charging times. The researchers will also carry out a variety of simulations, including various scenarios for upgrading to an electric fleet together with analysis of the costs and environmental impact this would have, with the overall objective of maximizing both the extent of electrification and its economic rationale. And while the numbers are being crunched, eight electric test vehicles will be taking to the streets of Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a period of three months.

Going by the name “elektromobilisiert.de”, Fraunhofer IAO and the IAT at the University of Stuttgart are also offering other innovative public authorities, communities and companies the chance to have their fleets professionally tested. Operators can then see how their fleets might accommodate electric vehicles, and have the opportunity to literally road test electric vehicles.

As part of the e-GAP electromobility model community program, Fraunhofer IAO will be joined locally by some 20 industry and research institutions, all working closely together in eight different projects to examine the individual modules of e-mobility concepts. e-GAP is being coordinated by the regional Center of Competence for Electromobility, which is located within the Competence Center for Sports, Health and Technology. The project is being funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS).