German’s Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr turns to INIT’s smart charge management solution for e-buses

Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (rnv), the leading public transport provider in Germany’s Rhein-Neckar Metropolitan Region, will in future rely on MOBILEcharge, INIT’s charge management solution for electric buses. It will be seamlessly connected to rnv’s recently implemented depot management system for bus dispatching and duty planning.

MOBILEcharge is implemented by CarMedialab, a INIT’s partly-owned subsidiary company. Based in Karlsruhe, CarMedialab is active in this segment since 2008. With the MOBILEcharge platform, the German company offers a tool that allows the PTO to visualize and control charging processes for the entire fleet. And the company also offers software for charging points. 

MOBILEcharge smart charging for four rnv depots

rnv is in the early stages of launching its fleet of e-buses and electric cars. With MOBILEcharge from INIT’s subsidiary CarMedialab, they will be empowered to charge their fleet across four depots with over 100 charging points.

An important factor for rnv is system interoperability, i. e. the smooth interaction of solutions from different providers. The new VDV 463 interface guarantees the connection between their depot management, charge management and operations control system – it was developed in cooperation with CarMedialab. In addition, the VDV 261 interface then supports the preconditioning of their e-buses.

INIT and CarMediaLab with rnv

The charge management system coordinates all charging activities and calculates charging plans using information provided by the depot management system. In addition, MOBILEcharge supports rnv in the monitoring of the entire charging infrastructure, the supplier says. The software keeps track of the charging processes and the functional capability of the charging points. The connection between the charge and depot management systems allows rnv to charge slower with less amperage, prolonging battery life. This is because information about dwell times is available, which means the entire period can be used to charge the vehicle. As a result, MOBILEcharge even reduces overall energy demands.

To CarMedialab’s Managing Director Heiko Bauer, the rnv order is a prime example of system flexibility: “At INIT and CarMedialab, we aim to make things as easy as possible for public transport companies. That’s why we support all kinds of interoperability and have heavily contributed to the development of the new VDV 463 interface. We are looking forward to working closely with rnv.”