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Hertz On Demand and IBM Lead On Smart Charging Initiative For Electric Vehicles
May 15, 2012
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The Hertz Corporation has announced that Hertz On Demand, the global car sharing club, and IBM are together piloting a program in Germany to advance electric vehicle (EV) mobility and user adoption through intelligent recharging solutions. In a special agreement, Hertz On Demand in Germany will supply electric vehicles to the car share fleet used by IBM employees to drive between Stuttgart Airport and the company's campus in Ehningen, about 30 km away.
Initially the electric cars provided by Hertz will be charged using decentralized generation of electricity on the IBM campus. The charging stations will be operated with IBM software that optimizes the usage of generated power by renewable energies. Furthermore, the software is designed to balance demand and availability of electricity power to prevent load peaks.
The companies are using this program as a field test to gauge acceptance and practicability of the electric vehicle and the intelligent recharging infrastructure usage. Upon success of the pilot program, they intend to add further electric vehicles to the Ehningen campus, as well as to extend the project to other IBM sites.
Michel Taride, President, Hertz International, and Executive Vice President, Hertz Corporate said: "Hertz and IBM see their electric mobility collaboration as a means of reinforcing their pioneering roles in this field in their respective areas of business, as well as helping to increase acceptance for this new form of transport."
Hertz plans to increase its global EV presence by deploying vehicles in other countries in coming months. Hertz Global EV will continue to leverage the company's rental and car sharing locations as bases for vehicles and charging stations, and tap into its technology -- including sophisticated fleet management tools and consumer-facing GPS systems, including Hertz NeverLost in the U.S. -- to help form an EV grid.
Source: Hertz
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