ELEKTRA-II

ELEKTRAII is a Berlin-based smart city project focused on the advancement of electric mobility infrastructure and the integration of electric vehicles into the city's broader energy and transport systems. Building on earlier phases of electromobility research and pilot programmes in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, ELEKTRAII explores how electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, renewable energy systems, and intelligent grid management can be coordinated to create a seamless, sustainable urban mobility ecosystem. The project investigates key challenges including the optimal placement of public charging stations across Berlin's diverse neighbourhoods, the development of smart charging algorithms that align vehicle charging with periods of high renewable energy availability, and the integration of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies that allow electric vehicles to feed stored energy back into the grid during peak demand periods. By treating electric vehicles as mobile energy storage assets rather than purely as transport devices, ELEKTRAII contributes to both mobility decarbonisation and grid flexibility — two critical pillars of Berlin's energy transition strategy. The project involves collaboration between Berlin's transport authority, energy utilities, automotive industry partners, and research institutions, ensuring that technical solutions are grounded in practical urban operations and policy frameworks. Research findings inform the development of municipal incentive programmes for electric vehicle adoption, the design of building codes that mandate charging-ready infrastructure in new developments, and the planning of rapid charging corridors along major transport routes. ELEKTRAII aligns with Berlin's Gemeinsam Digital smart city strategy and its climate action plan, contributing data and evidence to support the city's target of achieving a fossil-fuel-free transport system. The project's outcomes are shared with other European cities pursuing similar electromobility transitions.