Version 2.0 of the open communications standard CiA 454 has now been released. Investment security guaranteed; milestone reached.
 

 
To a great reception from local interested parties, the ceremonial release of Version 2.0 of the EnergyBus communication interface standard was made on the 4th July 2014 at the premises of EnergyBus partner emtas GmbH in Merseburg, Germany. This release was only made possible thanks to years of effort from the ‘JTF Energy Management Systems’ working group.
Steffen Rose, MD of emtas GmbH, said: “I am delighted that almost all of the participants in the working group were able to attend this release ceremony. Furthermore, the participation of so many local organisations and companies is a testament to the great interest and need for our work, and for unified charging infrastructure.”

Investment security guaranteed
With the release of Version 2.0 of the CiA 454 open communications standard, the EnergyBus Association and CAN in Automation e.V. have committed themselves to designing all future additions and further developments to be backwards compatible. An example of this is USB ports, where a device at Version 3.0 will still work with Version 1.0 devices.

Hannes Neupert (Executive Director of EnergyBus) explained: “With the release of CiA 454 there is now nothing to prevent the widespread roll-out of charging and locking infrastructure for Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs).
The way is now also clear for parking space management using EnergyBus. This means charging facilities which transcend particular implementations or manufacturers, classification of all types of vehicle via identification numbers, digital theft prevention aided by the Charge & Lock Cable, and optional charging of parking facility usage fees.
Hire systems need no longer be tied to a single manufacturer. Vehicle suppliers can be changed, or fleets extended to better serve the needs of users, for example with vehicles for transport of children, for deliveries, for sports and leisure, and especially for everyday transport use.
And this will apply even in ten or twenty years’ time. So a guarantee of investment security has now been given.”

Holger Zeltwanger, Chairman of CAN in Automation, added: “We have done our homework: the rest is now up to companies who need to bring products to market. It’s an open system: now people just need to use it.”

>> Press release

Copy: EnergyBus e.V.

Translation: Peter Eland (www.velovision.com)

9 July 2014