Digitally Uniting the Parking Lot and Charging Point
Can you imagine what it would be like to drive into the city and be certain of being able to park your car in the area of your choice? And if you drive an eCar, being able to recharge the battery while the car is parked there? The iLaPark project promises exactly this: an easy way to find and reserve a charging point and parking slot, and settle the charges together.
Fewer drivers looking for somewhere to park, more convenient parking – in the city center no less – the goals for iLaPark ("Intelligent charging of eCars in parking garages") appear to be rather ambitious. However, the project with six technology carriers, scheduled to run until the end of the year, is going well. Some of the technologies developed are already in practical use, also outside of the project, which is based in Frankfurt/Main.
Its basis is the comprehensive digitalization of parking and charging. Key elements are extensive recording of the user journey, a kind of "operating system" for parking garages that combines all the functions required, and a smartphone app that also handles an integrated contactless payment process. To this are added other functions such as AI-based pricing and various interfaces by means of which the iLaPark solution can be incorporated into urban data platforms and other smart city projects.
Further details and insights can be gained in the white paper "Intelligent Charging of Electric Vehicles in Parking Garages", which can be downloaded here.