Siemens 2010 Annual Report Download - page 55

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Siemens boasts the technol-
ogy and expertise needed to
spark a breakthrough in electric
mobility.
Werner von Siemens would be proud. Back in 1882,
he tested a prototype of an electric trolleybus, the
Electromote. In 1905, his son Wilhelm launched the
Electric Victoria, one of Germany’s first electric cars,
in small-series production. And today, we’re con-
tinuing this long tradition of pioneering achieve-
ment.
We’re now the market and innovation leader in elec-
tric mobility. But vehicles are just one building
block in the overall concept, which involves much
more than electricity-powered transportation.
The world is on the threshold of a new electric age.
In the future, electricity will be the most important
energy carrier. As a consequence, the demand for
electricity will surge. But not only that: more and
more power will be generated from renewable
sources. And this presents a challenge since – due
to fluctuations in their supply – renewables like
wind and solar power place a heavy strain on exist-
ing power grids. The key to mastering this chal-
lenge is a flexible, state-of-the-art smart grid that
can adapt to changes in consumer requirements.
Electric vehicles – which can store electricity and
return it to the grid when needed – will play a major
role here. Siemens boasts the technology and ex-
pertise needed to spark a breakthrough in electric
mobility. We’re one of the few companies in the
world with a portfolio spanning the entire electro-
mobility process chain – from infrastructure for
power generation and distribution to charging and
drive technologies to power electronics. We’ve set
up a new unit to bundle key components of the
drive technologies and power electronics needed
for electric motors, converters and smart charging
solutions. We’ve also launched a new Smart Grid
Applications – Electromobility Project with the aim
of linking consumers to power generation, trans-
mission and distribution systems via intelligent
applications and communication technologies.
As a world-leading provider of industrial software
and automation technologies, we can deliver the ef-
ficient manufacturing solutions needed to cut costs
for electric vehicles and the associated compo-
nents, such as batteries. Building on our long years
of experience serving automakers and their suppli-
ers, we intend to be a reliable partner for these cus-
tomers in the field of electric mobility as well. Over
the last two years, we’ve participated in various
pilot projects in Germany and other countries – in-
cluding the EDISON project in Denmark, the
Harz.EE-Mobility project in Germany’s Harz region
and the Drive eCharged electric mobility initiative in
Munich.
The idea behind the current fleet test is to assess
the feasibility of all our electric mobility innova-
tions for everyday use and to make any necessary
improvements. The fleet test underscores our com-
mitment to taking a leadership role in an era of
increased cooperation between carmakers and
electricity providers. The fields of mobility and
power infrastructure will be transformed in the
new electric age. And the German news magazine
Der Spiegel is convinced that we’re on the right
track: “Only a major company with knowhow, lo-
gistics and clout can play this role. There are no
more than three companies in the world capable of
successfully implementing such a project. In Eu-
rope, only one company comes to mind – and it’s
headquartered at Wittelsbacher Platz 2 in Munich.”
www.siemens.com/electromobility
Paving the way
for electric mobility