The news this last week was dominated by a discussion about energy. From the soon-to-be illegal gas stove used for her Thanksgiving dinner by our VP Kamala Harris to several new solar plants being developed here in Wisconsin, energy and how we use it, is one of the most important topics that we will have moving forward. My company, Gross Automation, is at the forefront of the “Grid to Charger” program and has many of the technological-based solutions that will be needed in the future.

My brother, Dan, and I have had both the honor and the privilege of representing the State of Wisconsin, and the US, as members of the US EV and Charging Infrastructure Delegation during the first week of November. As part of the delegation, we obtained a glimpse of what our future could look like as we implement these technologies and grow our economies together.

It Is All About The Batteries!

After a welcome party Sunday evening at the oldest brewery in Bavaria (you knew Bier was involved here somehow), we started our week at the Technical University of Munich. Wow, the research that is going on in e-mobility is fascinating. We inspected the temperature cycling of batteries, how they are mounted and configured, and ultimately used in a variety of mobility applications. Fun fact – Did you know that because this research is funded by general revenue funds, it is open and available to everyone to freely use?

After discussing the research of batteries and their use in mobility platforms, we then went to see a fully commercialized charging station in operation. Just outside of Nuremberg, Audi built their newly branded Charging Hub. You make a reservation for your Audi (preferred) and then once you are plugged in and charging, you go upstairs to a lounge and relax with coffee and snacks, a seated business office-type area, or just a comfortable chair to catch a nap. There is a concierge on duty to assist you as needed. We really didn’t get into a cost discussion but it was not cheap to do this.

Later in the week, as part of the Automotive Forum Zwickau, I was able to tour the Clarios battery manufacturing facility. Even with the new battery technologies out there, there is still a growing use of lead-acid batteries, in both old and new designs. The Clarios facility was awesome and perhaps the most impressive part was both the cleanliness and the safety procedures that were in place. Clarios is based here in the Milwaukee area, and I got to tour their Zwickau facility! Unfortunately, the program was entirely in German and my language skills were completely overwhelmed. In the end, I think I got about 60% of what was said and the concepts discussed.

Practical Uses of e-Technology!

At the invite of the City of Plauen, we toured their street car yard and saw firsthand a fully implemented clean energy transportation system. As a treat, and to show off their system firsthand, we rode in a fully catered “Bier-Elekrische” tour of the city. Just as a note here, we were in the Free State of Saxony, one of the states occupied by the Russians after WWII. When they reunified with Germany in 1988, they built the infrastructure that we see today. Plauen was particularly hit hard by the occupation and has really stepped up its game as a city with a solid future ahead.

Another stop was the City of Dresden. There they showcased their 20 new electric city buses that had just been delivered over the last year. We crawled up and down and through the buses ad even rode an extended double bus around their test track doing turns at 45km, as smooth and quiet as can be! Fun fact – Did you know that a double-length electric bus accommodate up to 200 people? Of course, not everyone would be seated at the same time! We plugged the bus into a charger and viewed the associated infrastructure. then just to be good stewards of the environment, we rode through the bus wash and left them with an awesomely clean electric vehicle. (See what I did there?)

Just For Fun!

We ended our official trip in Stuttgart at the Porsche plant. Here it was all about raw power. We toured the 911 assembly line and experienced the museum. OK, these are gas powered vehicles. Fun fact – did you know that there are 7 bull hides in every Porsche? Bull hides are the best that there are with no stretch marks and they are used in well over a thousand different interior design option packages. Unfortunately, we did not get to see their state-of-the-art electric vehicle assembly facility as it is still considered part of their R&D program.

Thoughts About Our Future

From the batteries upon which the e-mobility platforms are based, through the applications of clean energy in public transportation, the future is here. It is scattered and not entirely cohesive at this point, but it is here. How may we make this work? The costs continue to fall as we learn more about the batteries, the designs, the infrastructure, and the commitment required to see this. Come talk with me about this. What do you think and what future plans do you have with e-mobility?