Pfleg!E-mobil - sub-project: Innovative business models for the usage of electric vehicles in commercial fleets

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One of the central concerns of the research project Pfleg!E-mobil is to leverage the potential of electric mobility as an innovative, resource-saving, and environmentally friendly technology, and to facilitate its market penetration. C-LAB analyzes the economic aspects of electric mobility within this research project, which is co-sponsored by the European Union and the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

There seems to be a fit between the requirements resulting from commercial vehicle fleets and the realizable performance of current electric vehicles. Thus, Pfleg!E-mobil focuses on commercial fleets, as they constitute an economically promising field of application with a potentially large multiplier function for electric mobility in general.

To date, there is comparably little real world data available on the performance of electric vehicles in commercial fleets. Thus, the project partners will collect and integrate empirical data on the economic and technological performance, and the user acceptance of electric mobility. The real world data will be generated primarily by “electrifying” the mobile nursing service of the German Red Cross in the city of Bielefeld. Based on the analysis, comprehensive consultancy concepts for the use of electric vehicles, particularly in nursing services, but also in commercial vehicle fleets in general, will be developed. Thereby, numerous participants within the value network will be enabled to support and consult the electrification of commercial vehicle fleets, and to participate in electric mobility as an innovative new industry sector.

The tasks of C-LAB include the following:

  • Determine the economic potential of Vehicle-to-Grid concepts in the context of innovative, promising business models and business model networks
  • Develop novel approaches and tools to promote knowledge transfer among numerous participants in a complex value creation network
  • Integrate the findings from research in the economic, technological and sociological domains and develop a concept for a consultancy service to determine the potential for the electrification of commercial vehicle fleets 

Project fundend by: NRW/EU
Project duration: 03/2013 – 03/2015
Project partners: Universität Paderborn (C-LAB und Lehrstuhl für Information Management & E-Finance), Universität Bielefeld, FH Bielefeld, Stadtwerke Bielefeld, Ingenieurbüro small energies, Transporter Store, Wirtschafts- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Bielefeld, Bielefelder Initiative für Zukunftsenergien und Energieeffizienz, Verkehrsclub Deutschland, Stadt Bielefeld, DRK Soziale Dienste OWL
Contact: Thomas John, C-LAB