UK businesses invited to take part in trial of next-generation vehicle-to-grid EV charging

LONDON: The invite is open to companies across Britain to participate in a trial of advanced vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric vehicle (EV) workplace charging technology.

The initiative, known as the V2VNY project, aims to lower carbon emissions and reduce energy costs by using next-generation V2G technology. Businesses that participate will receive a free V2G EV charger to keep after the project ends.

V2G technology allows EVs to be charged when electricity prices are low and discharge energy back to the grid or to buildings and other EVs when prices are higher.

The project, which will run from September 2024 to March 2025, is led by Hangar 19 in partnership with DriveElectric, CrowdCharge, and other collaborators including Grid Beyond, Oxfordshire County Council, Electric Corby, and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). JLR will provide prototype EVs for the trial.

This trial is among the first in the UK to employ AC charging with newer EV models that feature "vehicle to load" technology, a shift from previous trials that used Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicles with CHAdeMO DC charging.

Participants will be equipped with a free 7kW AC bidirectional charger, which includes two sockets and a software package designed to optimise charging operations, valued at over £5,750 (RM35,000). While the charger can be kept post-trial, participants must cover installation costs and subsequent software usage fees.

CrowdCharge and DriveElectric CEO Mike Potter said using parked electric vehicles as a significant untapped battery storage resource could help alleviate peak-time loads on electricity networks, reducing costs and emissions.

The V2VNY Phase 2 project is part of the larger V2X Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero through the £1 billion (RM6bil) Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.

The project seeks to harness the idle capacity of over one million EVs in the UK to optimise energy usage, aiming for significant reductions in carbon emissions and energy costs.

To take part in the V2VNY project, businesses need to have at least two of the following electric cars on their fleet: Genesis GV60, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Hyundai Kona (2023 onwards), Kia EV6, Kia EV9, Kia Niro EV (2023 onwards), MG 4, MG 5 and MG ZS (2021 onwards).