Mobility and energy research for a sustainable future
Minister of Transport Volker Wissing gained insights into the KIT Center Mobility Systems and the Energy Lab
To learn about current results and ongoing projects in mobility and energy research, Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport Affairs, visited the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) on Friday, March 1, 2024. The focus was on the KIT Mobility Systems Center and the Energy Lab at KIT, which are working on sustainable mobility systems, renewable energies, and climate-neutral fuels.
Sustainable mobility systems, renewable energies and climate-neutral fuels
The KIT Center for Mobility Systems brings together expertise and resources in ground-based transport to develop solutions for sustainable mobility and promote their implementation. The Federal Minister also visited Europe’s largest research infrastructure for renewable energies in the Energy Lab, where researchers simulate the interaction of electrical, thermal, and chemical energy sources along with various storage technologies. He also toured the power-to-liquid plant, where researchers use green electricity to create climate-neutral fuels from sewage sludge and biological waste.
“Power-to-liquid processes are crucial for the future of mobility and will help us achieve our climate protection goals,” said Wissing. “Research like that being conducted at KIT is essential to advancing this sustainable transformation in mobility and energy.”
“To ensure a sustainable and secure future, we need innovative solutions in both the energy and mobility sectors that work together seamlessly,” said Professor Kora Kristof, Vice President of Digitalization and Sustainability at KIT. “The unique research infrastructures at KIT bring together different disciplines to implement new solutions in practice. Dialogue with politicians is crucial for this progress, so we are pleased that Volker Wissing is learning about our research.”
Highly automated mobility systems ready to go
During a highly automated and emission-free test drive in a shuttle from the FZI Research Center for Information Technology, an innovation partner of KIT, the minister experienced firsthand mobility research projects for local transport. These projects included automated mini-buses that can navigate obstacles independently on the last mile between public transport stops and final destinations without intervention from security staff.
swi, 04.03.2024