is Switzerland ready for bidirectional charging?

Mr Fröse, how long will it take for bidirectional charging with motor vehicles to become established in Switzerland?

Volker Fröse: “First and foremost, it’s important to remember that electromobility doesn’t just mean vehicles running on a different fuel: these vehicles actually become part of the energy system. Bidirectional charging gives Switzerland a gigantic virtual reservoir. We can’t afford not to make use of this storage capacity. Bidirectional will become the standard: the batteries have long been ready, the only question is when the rest of the technology will be. It’ll probably happen faster than we think.”

What regulatory changes have to be made in Switzerland so that bidirectional charging becomes the standard (depending on the powers that be)?

“Before we can connect this big ‘reservoir’ to the grid, we need to make some changes at national level, which will also involve technical adjustments. This will take time unfortunately, which is annoying. Prior to this, the Mantelerlass, which we approved on the 9th June, important initial prerequisites have been laid. Local associations for shared energy consumption (ZEV) will be possible beyond the individual home. Even if e-cars are not explicitly mentioned in this new legislation, it lays down essential groundwork.”

Who is to drive forward bidirectional charging with vehicles? Should it be the manufacturers, the importers, the energy supply companies, private individuals, the municipal authorities, the cantons or the federal government?

“Everyone can start on a small scale right away. “Vehicle to Home” (V2H) enables people to use an electric car to ‘save’ photovoltaic electricity going into the night. This makes sense because the battery is also the car. This system already works within a ZEV. Now we need more cars that allow bidirectional charging. Renault and VW have announced new models, and we can expect surprises from China. This means that charging stations will become more affordable, too. I think it’ll be important for fleet operators to set an example here. That will create a sense of trust.”

Electricity companies currently operate in different roles on the market, e.g. in its role as a developer of charging infrastructures, as a distribution grid operator and most recently as a car sharing provider. How do you assess the situation?

“The electricity supply companies are in a comfortable position: as public entities with guaranteed income and long-term amortisation periods, they can do a lot of experimenting and take risks. This made perfect sense in the initial phase of e-mobility because there was virtually nobody else who was able to invest in charging stations. But in my view the public sector should exercise restraint or even withdraw entirely wherever there are private providers offering these services. Otherwise there’ll be an imbalance. It cannot and must not be the case that publicly owned electricity companies compete with private providers.”

Could electrification lead to a misuse of structures in the market? Where Mobility is up against state-owned companies, the playing field is not level. Is this a problem for Mobility?

“Definitely! Public companies generally have a legal mandate that regulates their area of activity, and this mandate is often interpreted very generously. As long as there is no private-sector competition, this makes perfect sense and benefits the public. Unfortunately, it is then difficult for state-owned companies to withdraw from competition when they’re no longer needed. From an entrepreneurial point of view, that’s not nice because you’ve built something up. But this build-up is based on public money and represents a significant benefit. If a state-owned company offers schemes that are already soundly in place on the market and there is no monopoly problem, that’s a no-go in my view.”

Alexandra Stäuble spoke to Volker Fröse.
Source: Portrait of Volker Fröse: ZFV