In theory, an electric vehicle's battery could provide electricity to a house for approximately ten days.
Electric vehicle charging in Europe isn't as demanding for a vast number of public charging points as some might think, according to Nicolai Woyczechowski, the head of Virta Germany. In an interview, he pointed out that home charging is the norm for most electric vehicle owners. This home charging turns electric cars into a source of power for domestic use.
Similar to the chicken and egg dilemma, it's unclear whether we should install abundant public charging stations to encourage more electric vehicle use, or attain a significant number of electric vehicles first. Woyczechowski suggests the latter, "Not everyone invests in a car just to charge it publicly," he emphasized. As per Virta Germany's data, 60 to 70 percent of users prefer charging at home or work.
The German government has ambitious plans for public charging points. By 2030, they aim to provide one million such points. However, Woyczechowski believes it's an ambitious target that might not be achievable. He emphasizes that the majority of vehicle owners are home chargers, and thus, millions of public points might not be necessary.
Woyczechowski advocates for electric vehicles as a crucial part of sustainable mobility transition. But he believes the potential is far greater. Electric cars can double as backup power sources for homes, as they remain mostly idle. With a cutting-edge electric vehicle, "theoretically, you could power your entire house for ten days," he explained.
In Finland, Virta has already entered the frequency regulation market. Woyczechowski said, "We can adjust over a megawatt of connected electricity within seconds." This helps in preventing power shortages.
Woyczechowski discussed his experiences with electric mobility, his reasons for braving icy Finnish waters for investment funds, and the impact of electric vehicles in city centers in the latest episode of "So techt Deutschland" podcast.
Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat interviewed Bernhard Fischer-Appelt. The entire broadcast is available in the podcast "So techt Deutschland".
The debate on installing public charging stations for electric vehicles often resembles the chicken and egg dilemma. Woyczechowski suggests that focusing on increasing the number of electric vehicle owners first might be more effective, as Virta Germany's data shows that 60 to 70% of users prefer charging at home or work. The economy-wide transition to electric vehicles has the potential to make electric cars a significant source of power for homes, with Woyczechowski suggesting that a cutting-edge electric vehicle could theoretically power an entire house for ten days.
