Thomas Wester-Andersen is a fleet driver and technician with Nuvve customer, Frederiksberg Forsyning. Currently the utility provider has 10 electric vehicles (EVs) powered by Nuvve’s V2G technology as part of its fleet that makes sure water supplies, gas, and electricity and running smoothly in the municipality of Frederiksberg.
We wanted to learn from Thomas about his experience with V2G as part of his everyday work duties. We sat down with him a few months ago to get his impressions.
What has been your experience driving an EV everyday for work?
I drive around 16 kilometers per day and the electric car is perfect for the city. The car is easy to park and to get around in, the seat is heated during the wintertime, and on hot summer days, it’s nice to be in a cool car. The electric cars are really popular among the employees at our company.
The only challenge comes when I drive outside of Copenhagen. For example, if I have to go to Koege, a small city 45 km south of Copenhagen, it will take a fully charged battery (with the 24kWh eNV200) to get there. So before I go home, I have to spend some time charging the car.
How do people react to seeing you drive around an EV?
People in the city ask a lot of questions regarding the EVs when they see me drive by. I like that because it’s really important that the citizens understand that using EVs as a part of our daily work is not a big deal. I am proud to work for a company with a vision to help with the green transformation, and by using V2G we are on the forefront of new, sustainable solutions. That gives me a great feeling.
How does V2G affect your daily work?
Actually, I don’t really think about the V2G technology. When my workday starts, the car battery is charged to around 80 percent which is a perfect level for me. When I have to leave the city and go on a longer ride with the car, I have to be aware of how far I need to go. So, I keep a really close dialogue with Nuvve or I can add charge to the car through the mobile application. One Saturday, I needed to use the car to do some extra work here in the municipality so I gave Nuvve a call and five minutes later, the car was fully charged.
Have you had any challenges using Nuvve’s charging technology in your daily work?
No, but I must admit that I was a little skeptical in the beginning about V2G because I use a lot of extra gear which makes the car heavier. The first time I used the electric car during a weekend, it only had 30 percent electricity left on the battery when I picked it up, and by the time I was done with my work and returned it to the garage, I only had 2 percent left. Nevertheless, I have never experienced running out of electricity and it gives me a great sense of security that I can always give Nuvve a call.
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