Vehicle-to-Grid technology can help deliver overall power system cost savings of up to £885m per year
Adopting this two-way charging technology will accelerate progress in decarbonising the UK’s power system
The Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 are the only volume manufactured V2G-capable electric vehicles in the UK
A White Paper published today - the result of a major collaboration involving carmaker Nissan, E.ON Drive and Imperial College London - explores how the bi-directional charging capability of electric vehicles (EVs) could contribute to lower emissions and help achieve long-term goals in relation to climate change.
The White Paper offers supporting recommendations and calls for the introduction of incentives to accelerate widespread adoption of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging systems, enabling potential benefits to be unlocked.
It also addresses some of the challenges that will be faced in the early days of V2G, particularly around creating a reliable business case in the context of evolving energy markets and regulation.
Nissan, E.ON Drive and Imperial College are partners in a commercial fleet V2G project – known as e4Future, which aims to demonstrate how electric vans and cars can support the UK grid and provide a profitable and sustainable solution for business fleets.
The e4Future project is part of the V2G competition, funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), in partnership with Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
Andrew Humberstone, Managing Director of Nissan Motor GB, said: “There is enormous potential in vehicle-to-grid to deliver huge savings, both in financial terms for electricity system operators and vehicle fleets, and in environmental terms, by significantly cutting CO2 emissions across the UK power system. Nissan is at the forefront of efforts to realise this potential.”
Key insights:
The White Paper indicates that V2G could deliver the following benefits:
The potential for reducing carbon emissions from the power system to as low as -243gCO2/km.
Electricity system operation cost savings of up to £12,000 per annum per EV and CO2 reduction of approximately 60 tonnes per annuam per EV.
Annual fleet V2G charging benefits could range between £700-£1,250 per vehicle.
Professor Goran Strbac, Chair in Electrical Energy Systems at Imperial College London said: “Our research has demonstrated that V2G can provide very substantial economic benefits to the power system as well as reduce carbon emissions. This revealed that the additional flexibility provided by V2G fleets can considerably improve system efficiency and reduce investment in new low-carbon generation, while meeting national decarbonisation targets”.
For more information about how businesses with fleets can get involved with V2G, visit www.eonenergy.com/v2g
Background
In January 2018, BEIS and OZEV announced that 21 projects (eight feasibility studies, five collaborative research and development projects, and eight real-world V2G trial projects) were to receive funding of £30m to develop the business proposition and core technology to support V2G deployment in the UK, including its demonstration with large-scale trials.
The projects involve more than 50 industrial partners and research organisations from both the energy and automotive sectors, marking the largest and most diverse activities on V2G in the world, and trialling more than 1,000 vehicles and V2G charger units across UK.
The projects represent a significant step towards the transition to low-carbon transportation and a smart energy system. Allowing EVs to return energy to the power grid when parked and plugged in for charging will increase grid resilience, allow for better exploitation of renewable sources and lower the cost of EV ownership, leading to new business opportunities and clear advantages for EV users and energy consumers.
Vehicle-to-Grid Technology
V2G technology allows electricity to flow in both directions to and from electric vehicle batteries, allowing energy stored in the battery to be sold back to the grid when demand for power is high. Vehicles can then charge when demand is lower or renewable generation is high, reducing reliance on fossil-fuelled generation and giving V2G a role in carbon reduction efforts. It can also release capacity on the electricity networks which distribute power around the country.
Fleet vehicles are often uniquely suited to V2G applications, due largely to regular and predictable usage patterns, and the fact that they often return to base at the end of the working day, where they sit idle overnight. This provides perfect conditions for V2G to utilise the energy stored in their batteries, before ensuring the vehicles are fully charged and ready for use again the next morning.
Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Juke, Infiniti Q30 and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF
Production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles began in 2012
Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than 9 million units with 80 per cent of production exported to over 100 markets worldwide
Total investment made and announced since then is over £4.0 billion
495,645 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2017
Employment in Nissan’s UK design studio (Paddington, London), technical centre (Cranfield Bedfordshire), manufacturing plant (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear) and sales and marketing operations (Maple Cross, Hertfordshire) now totals more than 8,000.
A further 28,000 jobs in Nissan’s UK supply chain and 4,000 in its UK dealer network takes the total British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 40,000
About Nissan in Europe Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 16,000 staff across locally based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. In 2018, Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced about 600,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, Europe’s most selling electric vehicle in 2018. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan is leading the field with its vision of Intelligent Mobility. Designed to guide Nissan’s product and technology pipeline, this 360 degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society. http://www.newsroom.nissan-europe.com
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2018, the company sold 5.52 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.6 trillion yen. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance sold 10.76 million vehicles combined in calendar year 2018. For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on Youtube.
