“Anyone with an electric car should be able to earn money on the electricity market”

Mobility has big plans: the entire fleet – currently around 3’000 vehicles – will be electric by 2030 at the latest. As pleasing as the trend towards e-mobility in Switzerland is, the associated challenges must not be underestimated. After all, the more electric vehicles there are, the greater the demand for electricity. And the greater the demand, the harder it becomes to ensure grid stability – something that’s essential for a reliable and secure national supply.

This is where the “V2X Suisse” project launched in September 2022  comes in. The idea: electric cars don’t just consume electricity. Thanks to bidirectional charge stations, they can feed energy back into the grid. For the technical implementation of the project, Mobility has brought on board various partners from industry, including Zurich-based tiko. “Since its founding in 2012, tiko has pursued the approach of connecting decentralised electrical devices and batteries and using them to stabilise the grids,” explains Stefan Dörig, Head of Regulatory Affairs. “V2X technology is nothing radically new for us.” What is new for Dörig and his team is that electric cars from a car sharing company act as mini power plants. This is exciting, not least because Mobility has a fleet of vehicles at its disposal. “The fact that the electric vehicles mean we can use assets that already exist makes V2X economically as well as ecologically attractive. Mobility is once again demonstrating its innovative spirit,” says Dörig.

According to Stefan Dörig, three conditions must be met for V2X electromobility to become established in the long term: “First of all, access to electromobility has to become easier.” To achieve this, the (charging) infrastructure in particular needs further expansion. As a second point, he mentions the costs: “The more V2X vehicles and charge stations there are, the more attractive the technology.” By way of example, Stefan Dörig cites the development of photovoltaic technology, which is cheaper than ever before. “The third point concerns the regulation of the electricity market.” It is still (too) strongly oriented towards traditional models: large power plants that produce electricity, and households that use it. It’s precisely this which is evolving. “Thanks to projects such as “V2X Suisse”, consumers are increasingly becoming active participants in the electricity market.” Policies must take account of this development.

Despite the challenges, there’s no doubt in Dörig’s mind: “Together with Mobility and other project partners from industry, we’ve been able to demonstrate over the past twelve months that electric vehicles can be used for storing energy efficiently.” The project’s being extended by six months and continued in the coming winter in a bid to gain more experience. According to Dörig, V2X is a compelling technology that holds great promise for the future: “Our vision is for every e-car owner to be able to earn money on the electricity market and at the same time contribute to the energy transition – without any loss of convenience.”