All you need to know about Vehicle-to-Grid

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) is a technology that transforms electric cars into useful “actors” for the stability of the electric system, enabling them to draw and return energy to the grid. Let’s find out how it works and the benefits to the user and the environment.

 

 

What is Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)?

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) is an innovative technology that may lead to a revolution in the electric car industry. It is, in fact, a system that allows electric cars not only to take energy from the grid, but also to return it when needed to stabilize the entire system. This means that your electric car will no longer be just a vehicle, but can become a dynamic “actor” for the power grid.

 

 

How does V2G work?

V2G works through two-way communication between the vehicle and the power grid. During charging, the car stores energy drawn from the power grid in the battery pack. When the grid needs additional energy, the car can return some of this energy, thus helping to stabilize energy demand and contributing to the balance of the power grid.

 

 

Who can use V2G?

Toady, the deployment of V2G technology is still under development, and in order to use it electric cars must be compatible with the technology. Many major electric car manufacturers have already made the feature available on their electric vehicles, so some vehicles are already V2G-ready, while others may require an upgrade.

 

It is important to keep in mind that, to date, both the adoption of electric vehicles with V2G capability and the supporting infrastructure and regulation are still evolving. However, the opportunities and benefits that this technology will provide, when it becomes available and widely adopted, are significant.

 

It would indeed enable EV owners to use their vehicles’ batteries to store excess energy when it is not needed, reducing energy waste and helping to balance the power grid. This could lead to greater energy system efficiency and lower costs for consumers.

 

 

What advantages can V2G offer?

One of the main benefits of V2G is the ability to offer and feed energy to the grid when needed. This is done by storing energy and releasing it when needed on a Smart Grid, which is a smart power grid that uses technology to monitor and regulate the distribution of electricity in real time.

 

This will be able to optimize energy demand by taking it when it is needed, improving the reliability and management of the power grid. The benefits may also directly affect end consumers, as e-drivers will be able to be remunerated based on the time and amount of energy released, as is already the case, for example, for residential users who produce renewable energy (e.g., through photovoltaic panels) and feed it into the grid.

 

This technology promises more sustainable and affordable electric mobility for all. With further technological developments, appropriate regulation, and wider adoption, we could see a transformation in energy management and new development prospects for sustainable mobility.

 

 

Vehicle to Grid: dream or reality? The trial in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Trials of V2G technology have already started in various countries. Among the most recent, the Dutch city of Utrecht is conducting a collaborative experiment between We Drive Solar, Hyundai, Renault and MyWheels to develop two-way clean energy charging.

 

By connecting 300 of MyWheels’ cars to the grid, the city could have access to a large amount of energy, potentially useful for supporting the local electricity grid. This would make Utrecht the world’s first “two-way city.”

High-power charging for electric vehicles comes to Messina

Inaugurated today, the new charging station best reflects the Municipal Administration’s focus on sustainability and consolidates Ewiva’s High Power Charging in Sicily for increasingly widespread sustainable mobility.

 

Messina (ME), Oct. 11, 2023 – Ewiva, the joint venture of Enel X Way and Volkswagen Group, and the Municipality of Messina (ME) today inaugurated the High Power Charging (HPC) station for electric vehicles in Viale Boccetta – Corner Via dei Carrai. Already active, the new Ewiva-branded charging station is the first High Power Charging station activated in the territory of the Municipality of Messina and is located along the main avenue in the direction of the embarkations, a strategic location for both those leaving Sicily and those arriving there.

 

The site includes 3 Charging Infrastructures (IdR) or “columns” of 300kW each, for a total of 6 charging points (PoC), the Messina charging station, a direct link between Sicily and the rest of Italy, testifies to the joint venture and the Municipality’s desire to move toward an increasingly sustainable mobility that can effectively meet the needs of those who choose to travel by electric vehicles. With its 23 installed sites, for a total of 70 PoCs that add up to the additional 1,249 charging points built by Enel in the region, Ewiva further confirms its presence in Sicily, in the sign of constant growth, in the territory and nationwide.

 

“The inauguration of the Messina site is a source of great excitement for us, not least because it is the first high-power, 300kW activation in the municipal area. This new charging station is an important step forward in terms of the progress of green mobility in Italy and, specifically, in Sicily. Once again, the synergy between Ewiva and the local government has led to the choice of an innovative, technological and, above all, sustainable mobility model,” said Federico Caleno, CEO of Ewiva. “The transition to electric continues, therefore, at a fast pace, with a presence on the territory that is becoming more capillary every month. The large number of charging stations also makes this service more accessible, for a careful, convenient and reliable travel experience.”

 

“We believe in the importance of promoting a new mobility culture in Messina,” commented Mayor Federico Basile “The intervention presented today, for the realization of which we thank Ewiva, the joint venture of Enel X Way and Volkswagen Group, is part of a set of measures taken in recent years by the Municipality of Messina for greater sustainability and environmental awareness. Taking these choices also means seizing new opportunities, in terms of tourism and competitiveness.”

 

“The presence in the City of this first high-power charging station for electric vehicles is the result of a positive dialogue between the public and private sectors,” added Councillor Francesco Caminiti, “to put us in step with the times and project us toward a sustainable future”.

 

“An important piece that we are sure will contribute in a positive way to the increasingly smart future of the city of Messina and will effectively help meet the needs of those who choose to travel by electric vehicles,” said General Manager Salvo Puccio.

Charge the eletric car while enjoying shopping, thanks to the partnership between Ewiva and Mercato’

Ultra-fast recharging of electric vehicles is even more accessible, thanks to a partnership between the joint venture of Enel X Way and Volkswagen Group, created to support the development of electric mobility in Italy, and the well-known large retail store brand.

 

Plans are underway to install 8 charging stations in as many stores between Piedmont and Liguria, while 3 are already active in Alessandria, Rivoli (TO) and Alba (CN).

 

Milan, Oct. 4, 2023 – Two important Italian companies with the common goal of developing electric mobility for the benefit of environmental sustainability: Ewiva, the joint venture of Enel X Way and Volkswagen Group, created to build the country’s largest ultra-fast public charging network, and Mercato’, a firm owned by Dimar SpA, a major italian retail company, are working together to activate ultra-fast charging infrastructures in the parking lots of the Dimar network of supermarkets and superstores.

 

So all the e-drivers will be able to recharge their cars while enjoying shopping at the market, guaranteeing a simple, fast and comfortable user experience that saves time and cancels the so-called “recharging anxiety.”

 

A collaboration launched in May 2022, thanks to which 8 Ewiva high-power charging stations are already scheduled to be activated in as many Dimar Group outlets in Piedmont and Liguria, for a total of 34 charging points. A number that is already set to grow, however, to offer the high-power electric charging service at additional outlets. To date, 3 charging stations have already been activated, starting with the Mercatò Extra in Alessandria (in June 2023), which was followed by the Mercatò in Rivoli, in the province of Turin (July 2023), while the latest activation in chronological order is the one in Alba (CN), which took place recently, in conjunction with the inauguration of Mercatò Extra, the new superstore in San Cassiano.

 

The main Ewiva solutions that will be installed in supermarket parking lots consist, depending on the space available, of 2 or 3 Charging Infrastructures (IdR) or “columns,” each with 150kW or 300kW power, for a total of 4 or 6 charging points.

 

“We are pleased with this collaboration with Dimar Group. This agreement focuses on the real needs of electric vehicle owners and, precisely for this reason, aims at fostering sustainable mobility,” said Federico Caleno, CEO of Ewiva. “Ewiva strongly believes in the potential of the combination of electric cars and the offer of commercial services to e-drivers: in fact, for the “customer/e-driver it is one more opportunity to optimize charging times while taking advantage to devote themselves to shopping in the meantime. And on the other hand, for the merchant, an opportunity to grow their business by attracting new potential customers. By installing new charging points in supermarket parking lots, moreover, Mercatò and Ewiva are promoting the spread of a public infrastructure network that further enables the use of innovative and less polluting vehicles.”