The 30th World Congress of Electro Vehicle Storage (EVS) taking place in Stuttgart from 9 through 11 October 2017 provided an opportunity to find out directly about the status of electro-mobility as well as traffic and urban planning concepts and civic engagement. Afterwards, the international experts got to know regional protagonists in "Technical Tours". Since the success of the car or stationary storage system depends on the batteries, the interest was correspondingly high when ZSW experts Prof. Dr. Werner Tillmetz (Ulm-based ZSW board member) and Dr. Harry Döring (head of the battery test centre) reported on the unique research spectrum at the ZSW in Ulm. The delegation was particularly impressed by the extensive equipment in the eLaB, which offers everything from process and production research to industrial scale facilities, as well as by the scope of the battery test centre, where all kinds of functional and safety tests are carried out.