Last call for businesses to join vehicle-to-grid charging trial

Businesses in the UK are being invited to join a new project which is part of the V2X Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and delivered by Innovate UK.

V2X means ‘vehicle-to-everything’ and refers to the transfer of the electricity stored in EV batteries to destinations such as the grid, another EV or buildings.

First, the requirements. To take part in the project, businesses need to operate at least two of the following vehicles:

• Genesis GV60
• Hyundai IONIQ 5
• Hyundai IONIQ 6
• Hyundai Kona (2023 – onwards)
• Kia EV6
• Kia EV9
• Kia Niro EV (2023 – onwards)
• MG 4
• MG 5
• MG ZS (2021 – onwards)

Businesses will receive a complimentary 7kW AC bidirectional charger featuring two sockets, along with a software package designed to optimise charging, collectively valued at over £5,750.

Participants are asked to cover the cost of installing the charger, but they will be allowed to keep it once the trial concludes. It is scheduled to begin in September and run until the end of March 2025

When the trial begins participants are asked to keep the vehicles connected to the charger whenever they are not being used, even if a charge isn’t required. This connectivity is needed to exploit the benefits of V2E technology, enabling EVs to be charged when electricity costs are low and sending that electricity to wherever it is needed when costs are higher.

There are other conditions that need to be met for businesses to remain on the trial and thus keep the charger at the end of it:

• Once the V2G charger is installed it should be the primary source of charging the fleet’s EVs throughout the trial.
• A minimum of 10 charge cycles per month should be completed.
• The project mobile app should be used to manage charging preferences.

Mike Potter, CEO of CrowdCharge and DriveElectric, says: ‘The UK has a huge and largely untapped battery storage capability in the form of over one million electric vehicles that spend most of their time parked up. Using this resource can help reduce the load on electricity networks at peak times, as well as lowering costs and carbon. This project will trial how the latest EVs can be used as mini power plants to benefit businesses, electricity operators and the country as a whole.’

The project is being led by Hangar 19, in partnership with DriveElectric and CrowdCharge.

Interested businesses can apply here.