Vehicle-to-grid charging (V2G) lets electric vehicle owners park their transport, and inject their stored electricity into a utility grid. This avoids the alternative of large-scale grid-batteries for accommodating peak demand. However, as Energy Post points out, the incentives and the technology need to catch up with the idea.
What’s Holding Vehicle-To-Grid Charging Back Now?
Well, first we to convince electric vehicle owners to cooperate during periods of peak demand. And then we need to have vehicle-to-grid charging points that are convenient for the vehicle owners too.
After all, they are temporarily sacrificing their mobility, and degrading their battery life while they do. But we should also factor in the deeper significance of facilitating grid-supporting services behind the scenes.
Increasing the take-up among electric vehicle owners should increase the possibility of meeting climate change targets. This, was after all, partly behind Tesla and other pioneers pushing to decarbonize electricity.
But these are not the only potential gains when consumer demand is high, from discharging electric vehicles into the grid. It would add a measure of flexibility by closing gaps between what utilities have, and what they need at that moment.
The Charging Infrastructure Utility Grids Need
The electric vehicle fleet is an essential asset in the drive to decarbonize the economy. The hybrid and all-battery fleet is growing rapidly in Europe, and other advanced societies, although it is far behind 2030 targets globally.
Electric vehicle charging stations are proliferating rapidly in response to vehicle sales, and are tracking 2030 goals according to Energy Post. Slow charging services deliver up to 7 kW alternating current. Faster ones provide up to 350 kW of direct power.
However, this equipment is not suitable for vehicle-to-grid charging, as things stand now. European Union is introducing regulations that promote bi-directional power delivery. But most of the current vehicle fleet is unable to accommodate this option. The incentives and the technology indeed do need to catch up with the idea.
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