Using electric vehicles to store energy and feed back into the grid could soon save the UK’s consumer hundreds of pounds a year, a new T&E study finds.
EVs equipped with bidirectional charging can act as ‘batteries on wheels’ that draw down electricity at times of oversupply and give back when demand is higher.
But their potential is unlikely to be realised without common standards to ensure interoperability between all EVs and chargers.
By allowing EVs to draw down excess electricity when it’s cheap, bidirectional charging could save UK EV drivers 11% on annual electricity bills according to the study, or £190 per year by 2040.
If bidirectional charging was combined with home solar panels, this could reduce bills by up to 31%, equating to reductions of up to £380, depending on factors such as location and the vehicle’s battery size. Bidirectional homechargers are expected to only be around £80 more expensive than conventional wallboxes in the future.
Bidirectional charging can also extend the life of EV batteries – contrary to commonly held concerns about cell degradation due to regular charging and deloading. Battery lifetimes could be extended by up to 9% compared to standard EV charging practices, the report finds, as the car is maintained in an optimal state of charge.
Overall, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology could help the UK energy system save £2.25 billion a year by 2040, according to the report by research institutes Fraunhofer ISI and ISE for Transport & Environment (T&E), building to a saving of more than £15 billion between 2030 and 2040.
