Pilot project for bidirectional charging

The Austrian Post AG, EVN, and Netz Niederösterreich have launched a pilot project in Mautern an der Donau that tests the bidirectional charging of electric vehicles. As part of this project, five electric vehicles are not only supplied with electricity at ZAPe charging stations by PEET GmbH but can also feed excess energy back into the public grid, as reported by the Austrian Post.

Integration of renewable energies

The electric vehicles are charged using a photovoltaic system on the roof of the postal base. The electricity is stored in the batteries during idle times. At a later point, this electricity can be fed back into the grid. Thus, the electric vehicles act as mobile energy storage units. Since the regulatory framework for bidirectional charging is currently lacking in Austria, the companies are using this test to gain practical experience and develop potential standards for the energy grid.

Peter Umundum, Deputy General Director and Board Member for Parcel & Logistics of the Austrian Post AG, commented on the project’s possibilities: “Bidirectional charging is a possible next step: If the practical test is successful, our electric fleet could become a decentralized storage system.” He emphasized that the Post already operates over 6,000 electric vehicles and more than 20 megawatts peak of photovoltaic capacity, with a dense network of charging points available in Austria.

www.post.at