Thread by @burger_jaap

2022, the breakthrough year for bidirectional EV charging #V2X?

In 🇪🇺 the retroactive rollout of #V2X to Volkswagen electric cars (w/ 77 kWh 🔋) enables car-house-grid integration

In 🇺🇸 the Ford F-150 truck (w/ 98 - 131 kWh 🔋) provides days of backup power for your home

a 🧵

other car brands have & will introduce similar functionality to their electric vehicles - but none as integrated and at the core of the offering as these two. Bidirectional charging becomes a key role in the story of these vehicles - powering different motives:

A German newspaper described the Ford F-150 backup power function spot on:

"How to sell the energy transition to a cowboy behind the steering wheel?"

By powering tools & your house in case of power outages. This truck makes you more resilient.
sueddeutsche.de/kultur/mobilit… (paywall)

The benefits of being able to charge smart (at the right times) or bidirectional (discharging at the right times) are however greater than just individual. This @ICF blog nicely describes the need for policies and tariffs to secure these system benefits: icf.com/insights/energ…

VW starts with the wider system benefits: its cars are a solution for the energy transition, starting at home 🇩🇪

EVs acting as storage for daytime solar or excess wind, feeding back into the home (and ultimately grid) at peak times - or even days of low renewables production.

This article (paywall) does the count for Germany: 15 Million EVs * 11 kW (dis)charging power = 165 GW, the equivalent of 100 nuclear, or all current gas plants * 5.
What's needed to turn EVs from problem to solution for the future energy system?
spiegel.de/auto/elektroau…

1⃣ Standards for cars < > homes < grid > communication, and homes and workplaces that are ready for electric vehicle integration:
euractiv.com/section/energy…

2⃣ Tariffs that reward flexibility in charging and trust EV drivers, not control them:
euractiv.com/section/electr…

VW EV buyers can choose a dedicated smart energy tariff to charge smart at the right times & provide flexibility to system & grid operators.
Consumers save € on their charging bills and through a more efficient grid reduce other consumers' bills too.
elli.eco/en/naturstrom-…

In the above-mentioned SPIEGEL article, @WPSchill argues that the first bidirectional use case (being self-sufficient with rooftop solar) - a 'Ego-Energiewende', can pave the way for the technologies that will help the energy transition succeed and economy thrive. I agree.

The idea of bidirectional ⚡️ inspires consumers to act on charging: whatever motivation to act, the right regulations and tariffs can align personal and societal benefits.
Not all cars need to charge bidirectionally, but let's aim for all to charge smart.

(More on this soon!)

(see what they did there: their cars will now be a solution for a societal problem, no longer a societal problem itself #dieselgate)

https://twitter.com/burger_jaap/status/1484472429787463682?s=20