From the solar roof directly into the car

Electricity from the roof directly into the car: this is the idea that has brought together the Norwegian-based photovoltaic provider Otovo and the Volkswagen subsidiary Elli. At the same time, Europe's largest car manufacturer also wants to become an energy supplier.

This goal is being put into practice with large storage facilities, so-called Power Centers, which the VW Group plans to build at a location in northern Germany, among other places. According to board member Thomas Schmall, there is currently not a generation problem but a storage problem with regard to the electricity requirements for electromobility. "There is enough energy," said Schmall at the presentation of the plans in Berlin, "the task is to manage this energy in line with demand." It is not acceptable for wind and solar power plants to be temporarily switched off because the market can no longer absorb additional electricity.

Temporary storage is intended to provide a remedy, initially in the size of one gigawatt hour (GWh). This capacity is to be increased tenfold by 2030. The concept envisages that the Group subsidiary Elli, the VW brand for charging and energy, will buy up the surplus electricity in order to sell it back to customers when demand increases. There are no plans to create an exclusive offer for drivers of electric VW models. It will be open to all brands and generally accessible. So-called "second-use batteries" from previous car use could also be considered as storage media in the future.

At the same time, Elli presented the second generation of its wallbox, which, according to CEO Giovanni Palazzo, primarily offers advantages for users of Group vehicles. Appropriate programming ensures price-optimized charging by automatically switching to the cheapest provider, which, according to Palazzo, enables potential savings of up to 40 percent. The cooperation with Otovo offers a further advantage: with a photovoltaic system on the roof, surplus solar energy can be used directly to charge electric vehicles.

Thomas Schmall therefore no longer sees the electric car solely as a means of transportation from A to B in the future. It should become "part of a new ecosystem" in which customers are provided with "homemade energy" for a wide variety of applications. In his view, it is currently important to avoid further uncertainty in connection with the further development of electromobility, which he probably meant as an appeal to politicians. Relevant studies assume that in the second half of 2027, the number of battery-powered vehicles will exceed the number of conventionally powered vehicles across Europe.

The VW board member used the example of Norway to illustrate how quickly a trend reversal can take place. Ten years ago, the market there was still characterized by a 79 percent share of combustion engines, while today the Scandinavian country is the European leader with 84 percent e-cars. Due to the European perspective, the efforts of Volkswagen, Elli and Otovo are not limited to Germany. The initiative is being launched simultaneously in 28 countries. (aum/afb)