Power2Drive/BEM: Strengthening the Link Between E-Mobility and Energy

The organizer of the international trade fair for e-mobility and charging infrastructure, Power2Drive, and the German Federal Association for eMobility have announced another long-term collaboration. They aim to advance electromobility with renewable energies in the spirit of sector coupling, according to both parties. Currently, there is a tailwind for electromobility in Germany, with rising registration numbers. In September 2020 alone, 21,188 electric vehicles were newly registered, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), setting a record. The market share of e-cars – battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV) – is expected to rise to 10.7 percent this year, with 300,000 new registrations anticipated (2019: 108,600), based on the forecast from the Center of Automotive Management (CAM). By 2030, nearly one-third of all electrically powered vehicles worldwide could be sold in Europe, the second largest market after China, according to the Electric Vehicle Outlook 2020 by BloombergNEF.

"The associated market potential in Europe – also for intelligent charging solutions and mobility services – is enormous and is being enhanced by political programs promoting sustainability and future-proof technologies," believe both players.

Thus, the federal government's innovation premium, along with other factors such as tax incentives, has evidently helped to increase the price competitiveness of electric vehicles and boost the acceptance of electromobility, according to the organizer and association.

The Goal: Energy and Mobility Transition under One Roof

As an international trade fair for future mobility in the context of sector coupling, they aim to provide a platform for stakeholders to present innovative technologies and business models. One advantage they see is being part of The smarter E Europe, Europe's largest energy industry platform. This allows the e-mobility industry to connect with other sectors of the renewable, decentralized, and digital energy economy, they further advertise. "Power2Drive Europe encompasses what belongs together – energy and mobility transition under one roof," also states BEM President Kurt Sigl.

"We are pleased to have a strong and well-connected partner in the German Federal Association for eMobility," comments Joel Wenske, who has been the project manager of Power2Drive Europe since September 2020.

In addition to various podcasts and webinars, the plan is for the German Federal Association for eMobility to present itself at a joint stand in Hall B6, directly at the East Entrance, at Power2Drive Europe from June 9-11, 2021, in Munich. Under the motto "Charging the future of mobility," the trade fair this time aims to showcase not only intelligent charging solutions for private and public sectors but also more electrically powered vehicles and solutions for e-fleets, from e-cars and light e-vehicles to electrically operated commercial vehicles and converted special vehicles and new market entries, according to the promise.

Close Interconnection: PV Customers Want E-Mobility

The trade fair reflects the interplay between electric vehicles and a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply, according to the organizer. "The new energy world is driving electromobility and vice versa," they believe. Both sectors benefit from the further development of their respective technologies and are becoming increasingly interconnected. For instance, when solar roofs provide cheap and green electricity for self-consumption, intelligent charging solutions are installed, and mobility services like sharing concepts or fleet management are integrated.

A recent analysis by EuPD Research shows that owners of newer photovoltaic systems are taking targeted measures to increase the self-consumption of the solar power they generate: more than a quarter of the buyers of a PV system in 2020 either had or intended to purchase an electric vehicle. At Power2Drive Europe, participants in both the energy and mobility transitions have the opportunity to network and promote innovative concepts so that electromobility can make a sustainable contribution to reducing emissions and to climate and environmental protection.