Scania has carried out a successful demonstration of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology on one of its electric trucks, representing one of the first examples of its implementation on heavy commercial vehicles using the megawatt charging system.
V2G is already becoming a reality for electric passenger cars with many trial programs underway, but this milestone by Scania marks an important step towards allowing electric HGVs to play a crucial role in the power grid, by providing services such as peak shaving, grid balancing, and energy storage while they are plugged in at depots during downtimes. The large size of eHGV batteries and megawatt speeds could allow such vehicles to supply significant amounts of energy back into the grid at times of demand.
The system achieved up to 1,000A/750kW in testing, with real-time communication between the truck, charger, and energy management systems allowing charging and discharging to be dynamically controlled based on both transport needs and grid conditions.
For fleet operators, the potential cost benefits of having V2G-capable electric HGVs are considerable. These include reduced energy costs, optimised depot energy usage, better utilisation of on-site renewables, and the potential to participate in future energy flexibility markets.
Tobias Ejderhamn, Global Manager of Transformation & New Business at Scania, commented:
“Electric trucks will not only consume electricity, they can also become an active resource in the energy system. This shift transforms the fleet operator’s role from solely providing transport services to also offering energy flexibility.”
Yorben Muller, Product Manager Charging at TRATON, added:
“What makes this significant is not only the bi-directional energy flow itself, but the ability to combine megawatt charging with intelligent energy management. To our knowledge, this is one of the world’s first demonstrations of vehicle-to-grid functionality using MCS for heavy commercial vehicles. The truck, charger and energy system can communicate with each other in real time, creating the foundation for heavy electric vehicles to become active and controllable assets in the energy system.
The ability to combine high-power charging with intelligent and secure energy management could also strengthen the business case for battery electric trucks by creating new ways for fleet operators to optimise energy usage and lower their operational costs.”
