Master's thesis examines the potential of electric cars as mobile energy storage devices

With the increased use of solar and wind power, the demand for flexible energy storage systems is also growing. Can electric cars with their batteries offer a useful and profitable solution for this? Under what conditions is implementation possible? These are the questions Dominik Storch, a graduate of the Master's degree programme Automotive & Mobility Management at THI Business School, investigated in his final thesis. Prof. Dr. Thomas Becker, Professor for Digital Automotive Management at THI Business School, supervised him.

In his master's thesis, Storch calculated the potential of so-called bidirectional charging, which enables electric vehicles to not only draw electrical energy from the public grid, but also to feed it back into the public grid.

His conclusion: At present, large-scale implementation is not yet possible due to technical and regulatory barriers. As the market penetration of e-vehicles increases, however, the analysis shows that investments in infrastructure will decrease. It is therefore quite realistic in perspective that owners will earn money with their own car. According to Storch's calculations, an annual profit in the low to mid three-digit range is feasible.