Logistics

Research Campus Mobility2Grid – Thinking Energy Transition and Transport Together!

With the Mobility2Grid research campus, a broad-based public-private partnership was created for innovations to realise the energy transition and electromobility in networked urban areas. A total of 36 institutions from industry and science have entered into a partnership "at eye level" and are making substantial contributions of their own, totalling around € 30 million. 18 partners apply for a grant with a total funding amount of € 2 million per year.

The core idea of the research campus is the integration of commercial and private electric road vehicles into decentralised energy grids. Urban neighbourhood development must contribute to the realisation of the energy and transport transition. The goal is to realise an affordable, secure and complete supply of electricity, heat and transport on the basis of renewable energies with the help of new technical options and with the participation of civil society.

The EUREF campus in Berlin serves as a test and reference neighbourhood to describe the key values of a decentralised supply economy for sustainable urban development. In six thematic fields, new fields of technology and innovative business models are being opened up, as well as acceptance research and the promotion of young talent. A cross-sectional field is dedicated to the operation and utilisation of the results in a jointly supported enterprise.

The companies, universities and research institutions that are part of the Mobility2Grid research campus will continue to research and work together on the central issues of the energy transition and on innovative mobility solutions in the long term - beyond the main phase applied for here. These thematic focal points of the Mobility2Grid research campus are reflected in seven thematic fields, which are interlinked via topic-specific interfaces.

Project Content and Goals

The energy transition is proving to be an extremely complex social challenge. According to the German government's energy concept, the share of renewable energies (RE) in electricity generation is to be increased to 60 percent by 2035. By 2050, it is even planned to supply electricity, heat and transport almost entirely on the basis of renewable energy sources. Despite the considerable efforts in politics, industry and society, implementation is only possible in the long term because this would invalidate essential components of the previous supply principle, the necessary business models are not viable and many technical problems have not yet been solved.

Bus and commercial transport

Bus and commercial transport with its special framework conditions for the electrification and integration of electrified vehicles into local smart grids is considered in a separate work package. The relatively short, plannable routes make urban commercial transport in particular a predestined application for battery-electric drives. Due to the favourable conditions here as well as political requirements, there is a great interest in new concepts for the economic introduction of emission-free vehicles and the use of renewable energies, both among the operators of local public transport and the urban supply and disposal companies.

On the part of fleet operators and vehicle manufacturers, a considerable need is therefore articulated for the provision of competent and scientifically sound knowledge along the entire value chain of electric vehicles, in operation and as energy storage devices, through smart grids to energy provision.

Sub-project urban logistics

Current trends and developments do not remain without influence on logistics. In addition to customer requirements, there are ecological and traffic developments that demand smart solutions from urban logistics. In addition, there are government initiatives and targets that also need to be taken into account.

A micro city hub is a comparatively small, inner-city logistics area where logistics activities (e.g. interim storage, transshipment, order picking) can be carried out. It is located in close proximity to the areas it serves. From a logistical and transport perspective, the implementation of Micro City Hubs in existing logistics networks can realise ecological, social and economic potentials. These are being investigated within the framework of the urban logistics sub-project.

Project Results

Commissioning of the Micro City Hub by DACHSER and VeloCarrier

The pilot operation of the Micro City Hub in Berlin-Kreuzberg will start in September 2019. The Micro City Hub is part of DACHSER's general cargo network and will support urban delivery in Berlin's city centre.

Deliveries from the DACHSER Berlin Schönefeld branch are made daily by the all-electric FUSO eCanter light truck. In the hub, the shipments are transferred to electric cargo bikes and delivered within a radius of 3-5km. The "last mile" from the branch office can thus be realised in an emission-neutral way for the shipments that run via the Micro City Hub.

In order to analyse the performance and profitability, a steady increase in the volume of consignments and the capacity utilisation of MCH is planned for the coming months.

Project Organization

Project sponsor:

Collaboration partner:

Associated partner city logistics:

Project duration:

01.01.2016 - 31.12.2020

Further information:

Contact person knowledge management

M.Sc.

Jonas Brands

Research Associate

brands@logistik.tu-berlin.de

+49 30 314-28438

Organization name Logistics
Office H 90
Building Hauptgebäude (H)
Room H 9103
Office hoursby appointment