Siemens is building up a fleet of 100 electric vehicles in order to demonstrate that the vision of electric driving has already become a reality at the company. The vehicles (Maruti Ritz/Suzuki Splash) will be used and tested by employees. Called 4-S (4-Sustainelectromobility), the pilot project is focusing on the interplay between the electric cars and their infrastructure. Besides testing of the components, the project’s objective is to R&D new business models. Siemens expects there will be more than one million electric cars on the road in the near future, when they will form part of a smart grid.
The pilot project is divided into three stages and will initially be limited to the company locations in Munich and Erlangen. During the first stage, which will kick off in November, 20 vehicles will be given for testing to employees in southern Erlangen and in Munich’s Neuperlach district. The focus will initially be on testing the infrastructure. During the second stage, which is scheduled to commence in spring 2011, 15 electric vehicles will be equipped with a drive system developed by Corporate Technology (CT) and subsequently tested by employees. At the same time, Siemens will set up an in-house electric car-sharing system in Berlin. In the final stage, which is to start in fall 2011, the vehicles will be fitted with drive systems from the industry sector.
