“Many small car batteries are like a large pumped-storage power plant — only the driver benefits from it.” With this idea, Thomas Raffeiner laid the foundation for The Mobility House in 2009 in order to actively shape the mobility revolution. In this interview, Marcus Fendt, Managing Director of The Mobility House and responsible for sales and marketing communication, provides exciting insights into the founding idea, the company’s strategy, the importance of storage monitoring for the industry and the company’s vision: electromobility as an integral part of a sustainable energy system and the resulting zero-zero strategy.
What ideas has The Mobility House developed from, and what vision and goals has the company been pursuing since it was founded?
I have been working in the energy industry for 30 years. My path has taken me through various stops in consulting, including at Accenture, where I witnessed the liberalization of the energy market at the end of the 1990s. The turning point towards The Mobility House came when Thomas Raffeiner, a long-time friend and companion, invited me for a ride in a Tesla Roadster. During this ride, I was won over by the idea that is the cornerstone of The Mobility House: why shouldn’t the batteries of a stationary car also be used economically?
At the heart of The Mobility House is the “zero zero” vision: zero emissions, zero costs. Electric cars should not only be climate-neutral, but also generate income during their downtime by being integrated into the electricity grid in order to minimize, or even better, eliminate operating costs. The idea that vehicles can serve as flexible energy storage systems forms the core of this strategy.
We reached the final milestone when Renault launched the bidirectional Renault R5 in 2024. Through our collaboration, customers in France can generate additional revenue with each charging session via a special charging station. This makes it possible to drive over 10,000 kilometers a year for free — an essential step in making our vision tangible.
What makes Mobility House’s product portfolio so special?
Our product portfolio builds a bridge between electromobility and the energy industry. Our company divides its services into three central areas:
- Charging: From individual wallboxes to specific offers for electricians.
- Solutions: Software and hardware-independent offerings such as the “ChargePilot”, an energy management system that efficiently controls charging stations and saves costs. This is already in use at well-known companies around the world, such as Schneider, iTron, …
- Energy: This includes both stationary storage systems and vehicle-to-grid technologies that integrate electric cars into the power grid.
One example of this innovative strength is the use of batteries in the Amsterdam Arena soccer stadium. Last year’s Coldplay concert, for example, benefited from this. Here, batteries replace diesel generators and provide renewable energy at concerts or matches. Projects like these show how versatile the company’s solutions are.
What advantages do you see in first-life and second-life storage systems and how do you see the market developing? Will first-life or second-life storage systems prevail in the long term — and why?
The market for batteries and their use in first-life and second-life applications is still at an early stage of development. The development towards longer-life batteries with 13,000 to 18,000 cycles could mean that these capacities are never fully utilized in vehicles. Second-life applications make sense in terms of the circular economy, but are currently still limited by factors such as complicated designs, inadequate performance and high retrofitting costs. The standardization of batteries could facilitate second-life applications in future generations of vehicles.
Currently, new batteries are often cheaper than recycling or reusing old batteries. The market is still in the early stages, similar to the development of solar and wind energy a few years ago. In the long term, however, battery technology will play a central role in the energy transition.
First-life and second-life storage will therefore remain relevant in the future. Advantages such as:
- maximum efficiency and performance, as they have been specially developed for initial use (e.g. vehicles). (First-life storage)
- sustainable use through reuse after initial use, the conservation of resources and the promotion of the circular economy. (Second-life storage)
In terms of market development, I see technological innovations, standardization, falling production costs and regulatory requirements as the main factors shaping the market. Second-life batteries are becoming increasingly important, particularly due to stricter recycling regulations and progress in standardization.
In your opinion, what are the most important requirements for battery technology in order to be able to market it successfully? Are there aspects that operators or marketers often underestimate?
The commercialization of batteries has started with their primary use in the energy market (e.g. primary control energy) and is increasingly expanding to intraday markets and other applications. Batteries will establish themselves in many areas in the future, as they are often cheaper and more flexible than infrastructure measures such as laying cables.
1. Most important requirements for battery technology for successful marketing:
- Flexibility and versatility: The battery should be adaptable to different use cases (primary and secondary use cases).
- Cost efficiency: Falling cell costs and optimized operating models are crucial.
- Technical robustness: Longevity and adaptability to future market requirements (e.g. longer storage cycles).
- Intelligent integration: Systems must be integrated into energy markets and compatible with the infrastructure.
2. Frequently underestimated aspects
- Underestimation of secondary use cases: Many operators focus exclusively on the current primary use case.
- Future-proofing: Adaptation to technological and market-specific developments (e.g. day-night shifts) is often not sufficiently taken into account.
- Grid optimization: The importance of intelligent use of grid connections and avoiding overcapacity is sometimes overlooked.
With the online monitoring tool Storage Guard, NOVUM monitors warranty conditions, safety and the effects of marketing scenarios on the service life of battery storage systems. In your opinion, how important is such monitoring for successful storage operation?
The successful operation of battery storage systems requires security in the technology and its commercialization, especially in the early stages of market growth. Many players are emerging, including less reliable ones, making trust and financial security key. Tools such as the Storage Guard from NOVUM are helpful to monitor warranty conditions, operational data and the impact of commercialization scenarios on battery life. This strengthens the confidence of buyers and financiers and creates necessary reference points.
A decisive factor for storage operation is long-term use: each extension of the service life significantly increases the investment value. At the same time, marketing strategies influence the ageing of the battery. Marketing algorithms such as those we have developed and refined since 2016, precisely because they were mandatory for the second-life batteries we initially received, are necessary for sustainable operation. Independent monitoring mechanisms such as NOVUM are very helpful for third parties and financial investors in particular. NOVUM acts as a kind of “TÜV” here, ensuring that marketing revenues are generated without putting disproportionate strain on the battery.
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Find out what is important for the safe and profitable operation of battery storage systems.
To the WhitepaperThe storage sector is currently experiencing a kind of upswing and demand is growing steadily. How is The Mobility House dealing with this growth? What advice do you have for prospective customers who are about to decide to invest in battery storage? What should they pay particular attention to?
In fact, there is a gold-rush atmosphere at the moment. There are currently over 300 GW of grid connection applications registered with transmission and distribution grid operators, even if these figures will quickly evaporate. I expect 15–20 GW by 2030. The Mobility House will support and intelligently market this growth with its 200 MW portfolio as well as with great cooperation partners such as Ecostor, Fenecon, GESI, Terralyr and many municipal utility partnerships.
In the medium term, there will also be electric cars, which we believe will become the dominant storage systems. Economically, we should also use our rare grid connections for data centers, as this is where a significant part of the future added value will be generated, which The Mobility House will also have to draw on with its AI-based applications.
At the moment, it is still difficult to differentiate between the marketers. A lot of marketing, great dashboards and even better backtesting results override factors such as portfolio and ageing experience, such as The Mobility House has as a first mover, as well as corresponding investor backing and bankable products. Only if I use two providers in parallel on the same battery storage system can I compare their performance and see whether the battery is being used efficiently.
In the C&I sector, long-term planning is also essential so that storage facilities can meet future requirements such as increasing charging needs or be expanded. Forward-looking project management helps to avoid delays caused by bottlenecks in components such as transformers and to minimize costs. In addition, usage scenarios such as peak loads in industrial applications or charging parks should be taken into account at an early stage, as batteries can accelerate projects and make them more economical.
A look into the future: What projects will The Mobility House be working on in the future?
In the Energy business unit, The Mobility House focuses on the marketing of stationary storage systems on the one hand and the aggregation and marketing of electric cars for OEMs and utilities on the other. The aim is to make better use of renewable energies, make electromobility more affordable and make transportation more CO₂-free.
