Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) Technology: The Complete Guide For The UK

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Many of us in the UK have now come across electric cars, as electric driving popularity continues to increase unabated in the UK. In fact, 2022 has been another record year for both, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), as the combined market share of passenger electric cars crosses 20% in the UK.

The growth of the sale of electric cars is not confined to the UK. A number of key international markets can boast a similar increase in market share for electric vehicles (EVs). The global penetration of EVs is expected to increase phenomenally this decade. According to the IEA (International Energy Agency), “The Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario sees an electric car fleet of over 300 million in 2030 and electric cars accounting for 60% of new car sales”.

Put another way, the IEA expects at least 300 million EV batteries in use! The widespread deployment of electric driving will impact our lives in many ways, but none as much as the stability and balance of power generation, distribution and supply. Every EV owner will become an integral participant of a country’s grid infrastructure network. As part of this ‘future’, which is fast becoming a reality today, bidirectional technology will take centre stage, in particular, evolving technologies like: Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and more!

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): An Introduction

Though V2G charging may be an evolving technology tied closely to the development and maturity of electric vehicles, the research on V2G technology has been on since 1997. The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster further ‘catalysed’ the research on vehicle-to-grid technology, to find solutions to further improve grid stability and resilience in such adverse predicaments.

It is such pioneering research that has led to a wider commercialisation of this technology today. Key stakeholders like, automotive manufacturers, grid networks, charge point manufacturers and others, are committed to further developing the immense potential of V2G application. We can expect this ‘multi-sector collaboration’ to only intensify as we migrate to widespread deployment of electric cars in the UK and global markets.

V2G is an innovative bidirectional technology that allows the onboard EV battery to be charged and discharged i.e. electrical energy to be exported/ discharged from the onboard EV battery to the grid via a V2G compatible EV charger. It also allows for vital informational flow (data) to the grid. In effect, the V2G technology allows an EV battery to be used as a grid-connected energy storage unit.

Like conventional petrol and diesel cars, do expect electric vehicles to be parked the majority of the time. V2G helps leverage this ‘idle time’ to support the electricity grid network, in particular, in times of peak demand (also sometimes referred to as Demand Side Response). When responding to the requirements of the grid, EVs could charge to their maximum level or change their rate of charging when the supply is high and subsequently, EV batteries could inject electricity back to the grid during peaks in consumption or in response to grid demands thereby serving as temporary energy storage units. Off-peak rates have lower tariffs while peak rates have higher tariffs resulting in cost efficiencies for EV owners i.e. making you cash!

V2G also offers scope for incorporating a greater share of intermittent renewable energy (RE) in the grid, by allowing EVs to act as decentralised storage units during periods which are conducive for increased RE production.

You can take advantage of V2G sitting in the comfort of your home enjoying a cup of tea, whilst your EV parked in the garage evacuates the power to the grid. You will need to install a V2G charger that allows bidirectional charging. If the V2G charger is also installed in your workplace, then you could also sell electricity while your car is parked at work.

V2G will also help reduce the overall infrastructure investment and ‘pressure’ for the National Grid and Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), as every home has the potential to become a stand-alone on-site generator and consumer of electricity by leveraging renewable energy via small-scale solar panel (photovoltaic) or small-scale wind turbines (wind energy).

A number of V2G trials are already underway globally. There are currently 107 projects across 25 countries involving 6,600 + V2G enabled EV chargers. The UK also has a number of ongoing V2G projects. In December 2018, OVO Energy installed the first vehicle-grid-charger in a customers home. OVO had announced its V2G charging solution in April 2018 and is also involved with the UK government £30 million V2G competition, which also includes the Nissan Leaf, the first electric car with V2G technology. Below are some of the other V2G projects:

V2G Projects	Partners	Location
Sciurus	Cenex, Indra Renewable Technologies Limited, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, OVO Technology Ltd	UK
Power Loop	Octopus Energy, Chargepoint Service Ltd, Energy Saving Trust Enterprises Limited, Navigant Consulting (Europe) Ltd, Octopus Electric Vehicles Ltd, Open Energi Ltd, UK Power Network Holdings Ltd	UK
e4Future	Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, E.ON Energy Solutions Ltd, Imperial College London, National Grid ESO, Newcastle University, Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire) plc, UK Power Networks Holdings Ltd	UK
V2GO	EDF Energy, Arrival Ltd, CleanCar.io, EO Charging, Oxfordshire County Council, University of Oxford, Upside Energy Ltd	UK
V2Street	Durham County Council, EDF Energy R&D UK Centre Ltd, Honda R&D Europe (UK) Ltd, Imperial College London, Loughborough University, Southend On Sea Borough Council, Upside Energy, e-Car Club, Ubitricity Distributed Energy Systems UK Ltd, UK Power Networks Holdings Ltd	UK
Parker	Nuvve, Nissan, Groupe PSA, Mitsubishi Motors, Insero, Frederiksberg Forsyning, Enel, Mitsubishi Corp, Technical University of Denmark	Denmark
Smart Solar Charging	LomboXnet, Utrecht Sustainability Institute, Last Mile Solutions, We Drive Solar, New Solar, Vidyn, Jedlix, Stedin, Utrecht University, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht	Netherlands
City-Zen Smart City	Alliander NV, Enervalis, Magnum Cap	Netherlands
SEEV-4 City	Cenex, City of Oslo, AVERE: Leicester City Council, KU Leuven, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, City of Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff ArenA, POLIS, Northumbria University, Cenex Nederland	Loughborough & Leicester, UK; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Kortrijk, Belgium & Oslo, Norway

Though the potential for V2G is immense, a number of challenges remain, to enable widespread adoption of this technology. Some of these include:

Regulations need to be developed. In particular, in relation to data privacy etc.
EV chargers compatible with V2G technology limited.
Electric cars compatible with V2G technology limited.
Costs for enabling V2G technology are still high.
Awareness of V2G technology and its benefits is limited.

Benefits Of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Charging

Benefits: V2G
Lower energy costs:	V2G can lower utility costs to include, lowering wholesale and retail energy costs
Improving the grid’s response ability:	V2G can improve the stability of the intra-day supply and demand needs, improving the grids ability to meet the needs of peak demand
Improving power quality:	V2G can improve power quality by controlling voltage and power factors
Increase resilience:	V2G can improve the resilience of the grid and electricity network in significantly adverse conditions
Increase use of renewable energy:	V2G enables an increase in the contribution of renewable energy to the national energy generation mix. The higher the contribution of RE, the greener the power supplied
Reduce cost of EV ownership:	V2G can reduce the cost of EV ownership by enabling EV owners to earn from exporting energy to the grid
Improves national energy security:	V2G can improve the national energy security of a country by reducing dependence on imported energy
Improve environmental impact:	V2G can improve the environmental impact of energy usage and transportation by reducing the dependence on fossil fuels

Quasar: The First Bidirectional Charger For Home Use

quasar wallbox ev charger — **Wallbox Quasar Charging Point (credit: Wallbox)**

Innovation at the leading edge, the Quasar home EV charger is set to revolutionise electric car charging with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability. The electric car battery can be used to power your electric car and your home. Quasar is the lightest and smallest DC charger of its kind.

Key Features And Specifications

Key Features	Quasar Home EV Charging (7.4kW)
Model:	Quasar
Charger:	DC
Connector Type:	CHAdeMO
Dimensions:	350x350x150mm (without cable)
Weight:	15.5 kg (without cable)/ 22 kg (with cable)
Cable length:	5m
Maximum Output:	7.4 kW (1P)
Protection Rating:	IP54 / IK08
Connectivity:	Wi-Fi / Ethernet / Bluetooth / 3G/4G Connection
User Identification:	Face Recognition / Wallbox App / RFID
User Interface:	Gesture Sensor / Wallbox App
Charging Status Info:	RGB LED / Screen information

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