As electric vehicles (EVs) become more prevalent, with approximately 40% of all EVs in the United States driving on California roads, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and BMW of North America (BMW) are collaborating to test how vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can serve as a solution to offset growing demand on the power grid, improve reliability for electric customers, and maximize the usage of renewable energy. In addition, V2X technology could eventually enable customers to use their vehicles as backup home generation when needed.
The V2X testing is taking place at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services (ATS) Lab in San Ramon and is the focal point of an extended partnership to advance V2X technology and explore the utilization of EVs as a flexible grid resource. The collaborative testing builds on the momentum of the ChargeForward smart charging program, which was announced in 2015 and offers PG&E customers who drive a BMW EV, incentives to align vehicle charging with renewable energy to help support the overall sustainability of the electric grid.
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“Electric grid sustainability is becoming an increasingly complex challenge across the U.S.,” said Adam McNeill, Vice President, Engineering, BMW of North America. “That’s why we started our ChargeForward program in 2015, to connect our vehicles, our customers, and the grid. V2X takes smart charging to the next level, exploring how EV batteries can be used for backup generation and other grid services. We’re excited to continue pursuing additional customer benefits while helping make the grid more dependable and sustainable.”
V2X technology will someday empower EV drivers to return excess stored energy from their vehicle batteries back to the grid in exchange for compensation, presenting an ideal response to high-demand power conditions and a key solution for grid stability and resiliency. Additionally, V2X technology could play an important role in increasing the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG)-free resources powering the grid by storing solar and wind energy generated during the day to supplement the availability of clean energy during the peak evening demand period and overnight.
“The utility and automotive industries are creating a transformative clean energy future together. At PG&E we are working with partners like BMW to unleash the full potential of EVs to enhance grid resilience and reliability for our customers, while reducing carbon emissions in our hometowns” said Aaron August, PG&E Vice President, Utility Partnerships and Innovation.
SOURCE: PR Newswire