Vector adds VDV 261 support for electric bus preconditioning

Vector Informatik, in collaboration with Hubject, has enhanced its vCharM charging and energy management platform for electric bus fleets by incorporating VDV 261 preconditioning support. This update introduces automated certificate management and network compatibility features aimed at streamlining deployment within current depot infrastructures.

VDV 261 allows electric buses to precondition vehicle systems by preheating or precooling while connected to a charging station before starting service. This process involves communication among the vehicle, charging infrastructure, and backend systems, necessitating secure TLS connections using certificates issued by a common certification authority.

Previously, in many setups, generating and distributing these certificates required manual configuration, adding administrative complexity when handling large fleets. Vector’s vCharM platform now integrates automated certificate management through Hubject’s public key infrastructure (PKI), enabling the system to generate and install the necessary certificates automatically on charging stations and backend systems.

With several vehicle manufacturers already including Hubject’s root certificate, this approach could potentially reduce configuration efforts when implementing VDV 261 functionality across extensive depots or multi-vendor vehicle fleets.

Christian Witt, Product Manager at Vector, notes, “We are eliminating two significant practical obstacles to implementing VDV 261: complex certificate management and the need for IPv6 in typical IPv4 infrastructures. This enables transport operators to deploy more rapidly and precondition vehicles efficiently with maximum energy available at departure.”

Hubject highlights that extending its V2G-PKI infrastructure to the VDV 261 use case could help operators avoid managing separate certificate systems while leveraging an existing charging security framework.

Addressing another challenge in implementing the standard, which is the requirement for IPv6 communication, Vector offers a solution with its vCharM.edge hardware. This hardware integrates an IPv6-to-IPv4 proxy, allowing VDV 261 communication to function within existing IPv4 networks without necessitating operators to overhaul their network infrastructure.

Preconditioning enables electric buses to utilize energy from the charging station to condition vehicle systems before departure, ensuring that vehicles start their routes with full battery capacity dedicated to driving rather than conditioning the cabin or components.

The VDV 261 features have been seamlessly integrated into the vCharM charging and energy management platform, catering to both new deployments and existing setups.