Large-Scale V2G Systems Coming To Utrecht & Sweden

V2G — so simple to say, so hard to do. It is shorthand for vehicle-to-grid technology, a system in which electricity is able to flow both into and out of the batteries of electric vehicles. When properly managed, a V2G system can provide all of the benefits of grid-scale battery storage — without utility companies having to actually buy and install them. In exchange, the owners of electric cars receive compensation from those utility companies.

To make it all work requires close coordination between multiple actors — drivers, renewable energy suppliers, charging networks, and utility companies primarily. Close your eyes and imagine this scenario: There are 1,000 electric cars within a certain geographical area that has renewable energy resources. The owners of those cars will use them for the daily driving needs, which vary from owner to owner and from day to day. Those cars are from several different manufacturers and have different battery management systems with proprietary software. Renewable energy sources vary depending on the amount of sunlight or wind available from moment to moment and from season to season. Are you beginning to see how complicated managing a V2G system can be?

V2G In Utrecht

This month, the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands has officially become Europe’s first city to implement a large-scale V2G system. Called “Utrecht Energized,” it is a unique collaboration between Renault Group, We Drive Solar, carsharing service MyWheels, and the municipality of Utrecht. The goal of the system is to stabilize the local electricity grid while offering residents an affordable and sustainable mobility solution.

Recently, We Drive Solar and its partner, ridesharing service MyWheels, have installed 50 bidirectional charge points and integrated 50 Renault 5 E-Tech EVs into the MyWheels fleet. Eventually, the partnership plans to have 500 electric vehicles in its fleet, including Renault 4, Mégane E-Tech, and Scénic E-Tech cars.

The chargers have an interesting feature. Near the top is a blue indicator light that stays lit while the charger is in operation. Nothing unusual there. But below it is a display with lines around it that look like rays of the sun. When charging is taking place, the display rotates clockwise. When electrons are flowing back to the grid, the display rotates counterclockwise. Cool!

Bidirectional charging makes particularly good sense in Utrecht, according to Electrive, because 35 percent of its rooftops have solar systems. In the middle of the day, there is an excess of electricity, which can be used to charge the batteries of electric cars. After the sun sets, some of that electricity can be fed back into the grid to meet the increased demand in the late afternoon and early evening.

Robin Berg has been promoting V2G technology in Utrecht for a decade. “The Netherlands has the highest solar density per capita. Germany and Belgium were pleased because we had to sell the surplus cheaply,” he said. “Storing excess electricity in the batteries of electric cars makes much more sense,” he says. The beauty of the V2G technology is that it allows the carsharing operator to earn extra income when its vehicles are parked.

The MyWheels model is designed to appeal to Utrecht residents who walk or bike most of the time but still keep a private car parked in the city for occasional use. The goal is to encourage them to give up their private car entirely.

For Renault 5 drivers, all they need to do is take the charging  cable out of the storage space in the car and plug into a bidirectional charger. That’s it. No ID card, credit card, or app needed. “The protocol for bidirectional charging includes Plug & Charge,” Berg said. For longer trips — like to Paris – each MyWheels EV also carries a charging card onboard.

This program in Utrecht will yield valuable lessons that can be applied to other locations. “To fully leverage V2G, we need to remove existing barriers — from adjusting tax rules and grid tariffs to promoting interoperability and simplifying certification,” says Jérôme Faton, the director of energy at Mobilize. “With the right framework, V2G can become a cornerstone of tomorrow’s electricity network.”

Just within the Netherlands, there are 4 major grid operators and 2 minor ones, each with their own rules and protocols. Each city also has it own rules about where carsharing vehicles are allowed to park. It’s a lot to manage. Renault says it plans to expand V2G charging into Germany, where there are more than 850 local grid operators.

Volkswagen Plans V2G Trial In Sweden

The Renault V2G technology is based on alternating current. Volkswagen is planning a V2G trial in Sweden that is based on direct current. EV batteries store electricity as DC, but utility grids rely on AC. The inverter built into electric cars converts AC to DC. To work in a V2G system, it will need to do the opposite as well.

Volkswagen will soon begin a V2G test project with 200 of its ID. branded electric cars in Hudiksvall, Sweden, using 200 bidirectional chargers from Ambibox. Vattenfall is also a participant in the program.

At first, the program will include 200 companies and private customers in Sweden. Next fall, if all goes according to plan, all private customers in Sweden will be welcome to join. This summer, the emphasis will be on functionality, customer experience, savings, and potential revenues.

Mandfred Przybilla, CEO of Ambibox, told Electrive recently, “We would all be lying if we said it was an easy project; we had set ourselves a very ambitious goal. I am confident that we have created something very solid, especially with the software platform that Energybank and Ambibox developed and optimized together for V2G with HEMS.”

“We are committed to building a future where everyone can choose fossil free ways to move, make and live. Electric cars can play an important role in fulfilling this goal. To utilize the electric car to store fossil free electricity for the household to use and sell the surplus to the grid when it is most profitable, is a smart way of energy efficiency,” said Magnus Berg, the manager of customer products and solutions at Vattenfall.

Solving The Regulatory Riddle

Renault Group emphasizes the need for a supportive regulatory framework in order to unlock the full potential of V2G technology across Europe. It calls for clear and consistent regulations, including fiscal incentives, revisions to grid fee structures, streamlined certification processes, and support for smart meter deployments.

Successfully implementing V2G at scale requires a harmonized approach across the entire energy ecosystem, ultimately turning every EV into a grid asset and fostering a smarter, sustainable energy transition, it says. Renault is already demonstrating V2G’s capabilities in France in various areas of that country.

Sadly, this is yet another area in which the US will fall further and further behind other nations. Many US states and the federal government don’t want no stinking renewables or electric cars. Coal-fired generators were good enough for their grandparents, and so they are plenty good enough for them. How long the US remains stuck in the breakdown lane remains to be seen.