Russ Curry, Ministry of New Media
The partnership project between the eleven leading state energy suppliers and Berlin-based Hubject GmbH, which is supported by the Austrian climate and energy fund, will create a comprehensively accessible network of charging stations for drivers of electric vehicles across Austria, starting in April 2017. The member companies of the Federal Association of Electromobility Austria (Bundesverband Elektromobilität Österreich, BEÖ) are combining their charging stations to create an integrated network with more than 1,300 charge points from Vienna to Bregenz. The charging stations will also be connected with Hubject’s international charging network “intercharge”.
From left to right: Andreas Reinhardt, Linz AG, Martin Petschnig, Hubject GmbH, Thomas Daiber, Hubject GmbH, Ingmar Höbarth, Klima + Energie Fonds, Jürgen Halasz, Wien Energie, Stefan Forst, Kelag, Christian Eugster, VKW, Jaime Brodhag, Hubject GmbH
The eleven BEÖ member companies, i.e. Energie AG Power Solutions, Energie Burgenland, Energie Graz, Energie Steiermark, EVN AG, IKB, KELAG, Linz AG, Salzburg AG, VKW, and Wien Energie GmbH, will all contribute their charging stations to the intercharge network, therefore, setting an example for customer-friendly charging for electric vehicles. This will digitally link more than 1,300 charge points (2,000 by the end of 2017) available in Austria in real-time. The cooperation between BEÖ and Hubject will enable the customers of BEÖ members to use charging stations in Austria and the European intercharge network in the future.
Starting in April 2017, all electric vehicle (EV) drivers with only one customer contract from an emobility provider offering its services throughout Austria, will be able to charge their cars from 100% renewable sources at all of BEÖ member companies. In this case, the charging process is started easily using a smartphone app or a charging card (RFID card). In addition, all charge points and their availability are displayed in real-time in conventional navigation systems and charging apps. If EV drivers from foreign countries are travelling without a compatible emobility service contract, they will be able to charge their vehicles by using a credit card or another direct payment service at charging stations in Austria.
Jürgen Halasz, Chairman of BEÖ, the Federal Association of Electromobility Austria, and as representative of these eleven energy companies told us “Electromobility does not stop at national borders. This is why we are working with all of our member companies in the intercharge network and, thus, support the digital and customer-friendly network of our charging stations in Austria in particular”.
The project, promoted by the climate and energy fund, started in January 2016. During the past year, a unified, customer-friendly charging and payment system was developed for Austrian needs, and the back-end systems of all the participants were linked with each other. As chosen cooperation partner, Hubject ensures complete automated communication between charge point operators and emobility providers based on intercharge.
Thomas Daiber, CEO of Hubject GmbH added “We’re pleased to have established a comprehensive charging network together with BEÖ. In the future, EV drivers will be able to charge their vehicles at the charging stations of every BEÖ member in Austria”.
The connection to Hubject’s eRoaming platform enables EV drivers to complete the approximately 700-km-long distance from Lake Neusiedl to Lake Constance with an electric car and to charge at all DC fast-charging stations and AC charging stations within the intercharge network.
Hubject GmbH was founded in 2012 by leading companies from the energy, technology and automotive industries. The shareholders are the BMW Group, Bosch, Daimler, EnBW, innogy, Siemens and the Volkswagen Group. The company’s eRoaming platform connects charging station operators and emobility service providers in real-time, in order to give electric vehicle drivers easy and customer-friendly access to the charging infrastructure. Hubject does not operate any charging stations itself, but enables the smooth exchange of data in the background via the intercharge charging network. More than 240 companies across the world use the platform, including manufacturers of electric vehicles, energy providers, mobility service providers and telecommunications companies.
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