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The government has announced funding for a new technology that could allow households to use their electric vehicle (EV) battery to power appliances such as fridges and washing machines.
Using bidirectional charging, or two-way charging, households could fuel their cars when electricity costs are lowest and use it in their home at peak times when prices are higher, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said.
This method could lead to “hundreds of pounds” in savings, according to officials.
Currently, there are around 950,000 fully electric cars and 50,000 electric vans on UK roads, according to a study from EV charging station app Zapmap. However, only certain types of EVs – such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen ID Buzz – support vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging.
As part of an effort to boost the technology, the government is awarding four projects a share of £4.8m to develop and implement vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies. The successful companies are Hangar19, 3ti Energy Hubs, Otaski Energy Solutions and Electric Green Limited.
All of the winning companies have made proposals outlining how they will use the funding. Hangar19 in Chelmsford said it will demonstrate a three-socket bidirectional charger, while 3ti Energy Hubs in Leatherhead will combine a quick-to-deploy bidirectional charging hub with a solar canopy and energy storage battery, which can make access to bidirectional charging available in more destinations.
At the same time, Otaski Energy Solutions in Gateshead will aim to enable fleet EV operators to access energy in a flexible way and Electric Green Limited in London will work with QEnergy to trial wireless V2X technology with a fleet of 20 delivery vehicles at Royal Mail.
Amanda Solloway, minister for affordability and skills, said the prospect of families using EVs to power their homes was “incredibly exciting”.
“This is exactly the sort of ingenuity and creativity that makes the UK one of the world’s most innovative nations,” she added. “By backing this technology, we could save families hundreds of pounds a year, while also supporting jobs, investment and growth.”
Anthony Browne, transport minister for technology and decarbonisation, said: “We’re continuing to support drivers, and this innovative new development is the next step in levelling up our charging technology, which will benefit many households across the country.”
The funding follows Renault announcing in June that drivers of the upcoming electric Renault 5, which is set to launch in the UK in 2025, will feature a new vehicle-to-grid charging system, making it one of the first vehicles on sale to incorporate the technology.
The technology could also be leveraged by the private sector. Businesses could benefit from the V2X technologies by storing electricity in their fleets of EVs and using it to power their operations at a later date.
These technologies will also help make it even easier to rely on renewable technologies such as solar panels, with less need for fossil fuels to provide for surges in demand by allowing stored renewable energy to be sold into the grid instead.
