Nissan ‘Vehicle2Grid’ solution could allow electric cars to power your home, generate extra revenue
This is an interesting idea and one that could give a much needed boost to the electric car market. Nissan, which manufactures the world’s best selling electric car, the Nissan LEAF, has teamed up with Enel, Europe’s second largest power company for installed capacity, to develop a Vehicle2Grid system that will allow EV (electric vehicle) drivers to use the electricity stored in their vehicle’s battery when at home or even feed it back to the grid to generate additional returns..
Announced at the 21st UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris, trials of Grid Integrated Vehicles, are getting underway in Denmark with Germany, Netherlands and other northern European regions following suit. The companies claim that the endeavour is part of their commitment to support the entire electric vehicle ecosystem, going way beyond the car itself and delivering new services to the power industry.
Says Paul Willcox, Nissan Europe Chairman: “Our pioneering partnership with ENEL takes the car beyond a pure road vehicle to one that could be used to charge your home or office. It ultimately means that electric vehicles can now become a fully integrated part of our national electricity systems right across Europe.”
The Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology allows electric vehicles to be fully integrated into the electricity grid by also improving grid capability to handle renewable power and will make renewable sources even more affordable. V2G charging infrastructure and V2G-enabled electric vehicles give EV owners and businesses with large EV fleets the opportunity to create mobile energy hubs integrating their vehicles with the grid.
The system works by allowing Nissan LEAF owners to connect to charge at low-demand, cheap tariff periods, with an option to then use the electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery at home when costs are higher, or even feed back to the grid to generate additional revenues.
Says Ernesto Ciorra, Chief Innovation Officer at Enel stated: “Enel is leading the power industry in developing and introducing a V2G charging infrastructure into the global market. We consider integration with electric vehicles a cornerstone of the future of the electric system, as they now have become far more than mobility solutions. Technologies like Vehicle to Grid have the potential to transform energy systems and we’re pleased to join forces with Nissan and move this vision forward.”
For more information about Nissan visit www.nissan.eu/experience-nissan.html. The infographic below shows how the Vehicle2Grid system works. Click to open full size.
