UK government funding for “vehicle to grid” energy transfer technology
V2Go is a large scale charging demonstration in Oxford.
The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that new technology that will unlock the potential for electric vehicles to return energy to the grid is being boosted by almost £30m in government funding.
In a statement issued this week, the DfT said: “The funding has been awarded to 21 V2G [vehicle to grid] projects, to pay for research and design and development, with the aim of exploring and trialling both the technology itself and commercial opportunities.
“These schemes, including EDF Energy’s V2GO scheme, will demonstrate how energy stored in electric vehicle batteries could be borrowed by the electricity system during peak hours, before being recharged during the off-peak in time for their drivers to set off on their next journey.”
EDF Energy V2GO is a large scale demonstration of V2G charging in Oxford using 100 electric fleet vehicles (cars and vans) from a number of organisations including several delivery and taxi companies.
Transport Minister, Jesse Norman said: “As the number of electric vehicles grows and their battery capabilities increase, there is a huge opportunity for them to make a significant contribution to a smart grid.
“These projects are at the cutting edge of their field. Just like the visionary designs of Brunel and Stephenson in transport, they could revolutionise the ways in which we store and manage electricity, both now and in the future.”
