European energy company Vattenfall has announced a new vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot scheme, which will be operated in collaboration with Kia and Hyundai in the Netherlands. The pilot will see up to 80 EVs serve as flexible energy storage, taking energy from the grid to recharge but also supplying energy back to the energy grid at times of demand, keeping energy supply balanced. The results of the scheme will provide crucial learnings for any potential wider rollouts of the technology.
Under the six month pilot scheme, up to 80 households will receive a Kia EV9 or Hyundai IONIQ 9, provided by the manufacturers alongside the charging technology and an app giving users insight into their charging sessions. Vattenfall will manage the vehicle-to-grid aspect, with the cars set to feed electricity back into the grid between the hours of 4pm and 9pm – when energy demand is at its highest.
Much like in a real vehicle-to-grid situation, participants will still be able to set preferences such as a minimum battery percentage and departure times, ensuring that their EV still has the charge required for their own use – whilst still contributing to the grid.
In a future where V2G is widespread, the benefits for EVs and the wider energy ecosystem will be significant. Not only could it significantly reduce strain on the energy grid during demand peaks, but the ability for owners to give energy back could allow them to reap financial benefits – making the total cost of ownership for EVs even cheaper than their petrol and diesel counterparts.
Jeroen van Loon, Director of Customer Solution Development at Vattenfall Netherlands, commented:
“Electric cars are stationary for most of the day. At the same time, they have a large battery: whereas a home battery is usually around 10 kilowatt-hours, an electric car can easily have 50 to 60 kilowatt-hours of storage. In this pilot, we are exploring how we can unlock the flexibility of this new generation of cars and gain experience with an energy system that can better adapt to supply and demand.”
