From parking to power: Major Vehicle to Grid electricity trial ready for take off

One of the UK's largest trials to date of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) chargers capable of feeding power back to the grid from electric vehicle (EV) batteries is ready to commence, the firms behind the trail-blazing project announced yesterday.

Energy giant E.ON and auto manufacturer Nissan confirmed they have installed 20 chargers at Nissan's European Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Co-funded by government-backed agency Innovate UK, the project aims to demonstrate how storing electricity in fleet vehicles' batteries could generate additional revenue for firms while also supporting the UK's power grid.

V2G technology allows energy stored in EV batteries to be sold back to the grid when demand for power is high. Vehicles can then recharge when demand is low or renewable generation is high, supporting efforts to cut carbon emissions. The V2G platform uses a combination of E.ON's existing Virtual Power Plant software, as well as a charger operating system provided by the utility firm's e-mobility partner Virta.

"Now that we've proven the technology's capabilities with these 20 installs, we're a step closer to bringing it to market," said Luke Ellis, V2G programme manager with E.ON UK.

"Integrating your fleet with V2G technology brings greater cost savings and the chance to earn extra revenue. V2G technology brings with it wider environmental benefits for society as a whole. It can be considered ‘carbon negative' for its potential to reduce or even remove the need for fossil-fuelled generation to be fired up at times of peak electricity demand."

The firms behind the project plan to deploy V2G chargers to organisations across the UK and are currently recruiting participants for a wider trial, they said. Organisations will be offered a V2G package at a heavily subsidised price, thanks to grant funding from Innovate UK, they said.

Vehicles compatible with the technology being used in the project will require a battery capacity of 30 kWh or greater and a CHAdeMO charging port, the firms said. As such, include the Nissan e-NV200 electric van and the Nissan LEAF are both compatible with the new system.

"We know many fleets are not just looking at electric vehicle acquisition, they are also reviewing their energy infrastructure for a world where electric vehicles are fast becoming the norm," said Peter McDonald, Fleet Director at Nissan Motor GB.

"Nissan is collaborating with E.ON on this exciting energy infrastructure project to expedite V2G technology in the UK. Thanks to the LEAF and e-NV200 being V2G-capable, these EVs are well set for the future."

The project is part of the V2G programme, funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). The V2G project consortium, known as e4Future, includes Newcastle University, Imperial College London, Northern Powergrid, UK Power Networks, and National Grid ESO, as well as E.ON and Nissan.

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• Topics
• Technology
• Automotive
• Infrastructure
• Nissan
• Innovate UK
• EON
• E.On
• V2G
• Electric Vehicles
• EV charging