Next steps to drive home vehicle to grid technology

Vehicle to grid (V2G) has gained significant traction as a flexible means of managing energy consumption on the grid. However, although its value case is clear, regulatory hurdles persist, explains Raphaël Héliot, Policy Manager for the electric mobility association AVERE.

European policymakers, states Héliot, particularly in Brussels, recognise the necessity of rapidly integrating renewable energy into the grid; herein lies the immediate value case for vehicle to grid (V2G) systems, where electric vehicles act as ‘batteries on wheels’, discharging their excess power back into the grid at times of peak demand.

This value, adds Héliot, has been further recognised in light of geopolitical events such as the war in Ukraine, which underscores the need for swift action in the energy sector.

“Meeting renewable energy targets means that we need to be able to implement (renewables) into the grid (…) how do we do that best and how do we (simultaneously) provide flexibility to the grid?”

Héliot states how, in looking to answer these questions, the transport sector, particularly electric vehicles (EVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), present a prime opportunity, addressing both energy and transport sector decarbonisation challenges.

“It is in a way, the best of both worlds because you’re decarbonising the energy sector and helping the decarbonisation of the transport sector; the two are helping each other.

“There is this understanding in Brussels that this is key. What we’re seeing is that this is being discussed in many legislative files. We’re seeing definitions emerging, we’re seeing scope for data exchange between the vehicles and the charging infrastructure emerging; baselines for the battery to be able to exchange that data.”

And while there's no mandate yet to deploy bidirectional infrastructure due to various challenges, Héliot adds that incentives are proposed to encourage the deployment of V2G-ready charging points.

Additionally, European-funded projects such as Scale and Flow, contribute to the debate behind the V2G value case, providing knowledge to policymakers and reinforcing the feasibility of V2G, adds Héliot.

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Intersecting sectors

Héliot also highlights how V2G plays a pivotal role in bridging sectors, serving as a communication hub for energy, automotive and technology providers.

“What we’ve been seeing is that vehicles are going to become batteries, a unit that feeds into the grid.

“V2G is the crossroad and now what we need is to make sure that all those sectors – energy, utility, transport and even the technology – the hardware – all work together to create a system that works and communicates well together.”

However, despite the growing adoption and clear value case behind V2G, Héliot cites certain challenges that have been impeding the widespread uptake of the crucial technology for net zero.

Specifically, financial incentives and behavioural changes are yet needed to motivate citizens to embrace the technology while the high cost of charging infrastructure has the potential to hinder mass-market adoption.

Legislative challenges, such as double taxation, create hurdles, emphasizing the need for policy adjustments.

Additionally, technological considerations, such as the choice between AC (alternating current) or DC (direct current) V2G and the establishment of communication protocols and standards still need to be addressed.

“We need to agree on what language these sectors speak when they are exchanging (data). It is important, at least on a European level, that we have protocols and standards in place,” which would determine how the vehicle communicates to the charging points and how the charging points would then communicate with the grid.

“If we do not have that in an open market like Europe, you’re not going to be able to drive your vehicle from one country to another and be able to use that V2G, that flexibility, in the grid.”