V2G
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GM is using its Ultium battery tech for a lot more than EVs
On Tuesday, the automaker announced that it is expanding its portfolio into energy management services with GM Energy.
Paying for EV charging could soon be as simple as plugging in your car
The number of EV charging stations across America is increasing, thus paving the way for wider adoption of electric vehicles. But a lot of the infrastructure surrounding charging has remained complicated and time-consuming. Charging points typically require downloading an individual app -- or in some cases, making a phone call to a customer rep -- before you can start juicing up. It's a faff. Now, though, Electrify America is working on a program that will let you pay for electric vehicle charging simply by plugging in your vehicle.
Nissan's xStorage is its take on Tesla's Powerwall battery
Nissan's grand designs for zero-emission cities of the future may be some way off, but you gotta start somewhere. And that somewhere starts with "xStorage," the automaker's home energy hoarding system announced today. Like Tesla's Powerwall and Mercedes' residential battery, the idea is to save you money in the long run by charging the thing up when off-peak electricity rates are in effect. You can then use the cache to power your home when energy is more expensive -- switching between sources by way of smartphone app -- or sell it back to the grid during these times of higher demand. And if you can juice the xStorage unit up using a renewable source like solar, then all the greener.
Nissan wants you to use its Leaf EV like a Tesla Powerwall
In May, Tesla explained why it's a good idea to put multi-kWh batteries our homes. Half a year on, Nissan has worked out how to use the multi-kWh battery inside its Leaf EV in the same way. It's teamed up with the energy company ENEL to debut a "Vehicle 2 Grid" (V2G) system that allows electric vehicles as mobile power plants for homes, offices or returning energy to the grid.
City of Newark, Delaware implements Vehicle-to-Grid trials
Newark, Delaware has become the first city in the US to test drive vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Led by professor Willett Kempton, researchers at the University of Delaware are conducting experiments at two different outlets, using electric cars as energy storage to assuage local power fluctuations. When parked at home, Kempton says his ride's got enough juice to power 7 or 8 nearby homes for 30 minutes, should the need arise. Meanwhile, the city is doing its own assessments to make sure the cars don't energize downed lines. What we're really interested in is the potential for discounts from the electric company. Plugging in our clunker for a few dollars off monthly utilities? Yes, please.[Via PhysOrg]
Vehicle-to-grid will turn suburbs into power plants, won't help undertones of repression
We've been hearing about vehicle-to-grid (V2G) for quite a while, and now a team at the University of Michigan is conducting an extensive study on the technology as part of a national sustainable energy solution. While current electric plants are good at generating power, they often fall short when it comes to storage -- which can be a problem when there's a power surge or when demand increases. V2G will let hybrid-electric owners sell the power their car generates to the electrical power grid whenever the car is not in use. The research team envisions a time when millions of hybrid vehicle owners will come together to create one large battery, allowing us all to play a small part in building our nation's energy independence. And sure, this all sounds good in theory. But wouldn't that mean relying on the neighbors to provide a key piece of the nation's infrastructure? Have you met the neighbors? Doesn't that seem a little... iffy?
Prius hack utilizes Vehicle-to-Grid technology to power your crib
For those of you Prius owners who felt the novelty of a hybrid vehicle was finally wearing off, a whole host of new hacks are starting to emerge, which should go quite a ways in expanding the utility of your gas-sipping whip. When you're not cruising around at the tune of 116 mpg, you can purportedly flip the power in reverse and actually juice up your house with your ride. A prototype system being demonstrated by California's Pacific Gas and Electric Company utilizes Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology to actually send power in reverse to energize a few in-home lights, appliances, and of course, Wii exercise sessions. Potentially more interesting is the possibility to actually "sell back energy to the utility during hot afternoons when demand is highest and most costly to avoid blackouts." No word just yet on when this stuff will be rolled out en masse, but if you needed just one more reason to plunk down for a Prius, it doesn't get much better than this.[Via The Raw Feed]
