Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), a utility company based in southern California, which serves 3.7 million people, have agreed to collaborate on vehicle-to-grid (V2G) research for battery electric vehicles (EBVs) with a Toyota bZ4X. V2G research will explore bi-directional power flow technology that allows VEB owners to charge their vehicle batteries from the grid and discharge electricity from the batteries back to the grid. V2G technology has the potential to meet customer needs through increased energy reliability and resilience, the integration of renewable energy and the potential to reduce electricity costs.
Understanding the needs of VEB owners, their charging habits, and when they use their vehicles will be critical to driving widespread adoption of V2G. Currently, almost 80% of owners charge their VEBs at home overnight, when grid demand is lowest. Thanks to bi-directional capability, these vehicles could return power to the grid during peak demand hours or at other critical times, such as during rotating outages due to power shortages. The collaboration between SDG&E and Toyota’s Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions (EVCS) team aims to find synergies between the needs of VEB owners and the needs of the electric grid, as well as explore how to communicate to VEB owners the possible benefits of bidirectional capabilities.
SDG&E’s service territory encompasses 25 communities in San Diego and southern Orange counties and represents one of the largest Toyota plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PEV) and VEB ownership regions in California . The Golden State is the fastest growing electric vehicle market in the country, making it a great area to conduct this research.
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“We are embracing the concept of a fully electrified ecosystem for our customers and the ability of vehicles to integrate into the grid is an essential component of this ecosystem,” said Christopher Yang, vice president of Toyota ‘s EV Charging Solutions group. “Working with major utilities like SDG&E will ensure customers can continue to charge their electric vehicles at home. Toyota seeks to empower utilities to better anticipate and take advantage of the large number of plug-in hybrid vehicles and EVs.” in their networks, both as a growing source of energy demand and, in the future, of energy supply.
“V2G has the potential to be a game-changer for the electric grid and for consumers, and we are proud to partner with Toyota to advance this technology,” said Miguel Romero , SDG&E chief commercial officer. “Together, we are forging new paths toward a sustainable and resilient energy future for our customers and the communities we serve.”
The V2G research will take place at SDG&E’s campus in San Diego, California , and will use Fermata Energy’s bi-directional charger and V2G platform. SDG&E has a highly trained clean transportation team that has implemented several electric vehicle charging infrastructure programs. To date, the company has installed more than 3,600 chargers in workplaces, schools and parks, as well as industrial and commercial facilities. SDG&E has already electrified more than 20% of its on-highway vehicle fleet and is working closely with many fleet operators to help them transition to electric vehicle fleets.
Using insights from V2G research, SDG&E and Toyota aim to identify current and future customer benefits that can be achieved through new products and services. The pilot will also help SDG&E understand the infrastructure needed to enable the rapid growth of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, in both public and private settings, and to further stabilize the electric grid during peak hours.
SOURCE : PRNewswire