Electric Nation Vehicle to Grid (V2G) has installed the first of 100 V2G trial chargers. This is part of its pilot to demonstrate how V2G technology can provide a solution to potential electricity network capacity issues as the numbers of electric cars and vehicles increase.
The trial is a project of Western Power Distribution (WPD) in partnership with CrowdCharge. It’s offering free installation of the V2G smart chargers worth £5,500 to Nissan electric car drivers who live in the WPD regions including the Midlands, South West and South Wales. CrowdCharge is recruiting 100 people for the trial to help Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and others to understand how V2G charging could work with their electricity networks.
The trial is all the more important in light of the Government announcement to end sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. This means that there will be a more rapid take-up of electric vehicles over the next ten years.
The trial is using the Wallbox Quasar, the smallest and lightest bidirectional charger for home use. By using a vehicle to grid charger, electric cars can put energy back into the grid at peak times. This technology reduces the need for extra electricity generation or network reinforcement. All the suppliers will use CrowdCharge’s demand management charger platform. This provides optimised charging to ensure vehicles are charged at the cheapest rate.
Rasita Chudasama, the first Electric Nation Vehicle to Grid trial participant, said: “I’m delighted to be part of the Electric Nation Vehicle to Grid project and to play a role in trialling this exciting new technology.
“By reducing the potential impact of electric car charging on electricity networks, V2G should support the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, which will help us to improve local air quality and combat climate change. I’m looking forward to seeing how V2G works from an electric car driver’s point of view.”
Mike Potter, CEO of CrowdCharge, said: “Vehicle to grid charging is a great concept, but it hasn’t yet been trialled sufficiently on Britain’s electricity networks to enable it to be rolled out on a country-wide basis, hence the need for this project. This trial will provide a smart solution for the management of electric vehicle charging and will study the real-world benefits of V2G.”
