Octopus Energy Announce “V2G EV Bundle” at Energy Tech Summit

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Over the last few days Octopus Energy have dropped some heavy hints about an “exciting announcement” at their Energy Tech Summit in London at 12:30 this afternoon. Here is what transpired at the appointed time:

As the video title puts it, Octopus CEO Greg Jackson launched the WORLD FIRST vehicle-to-grid EV bundle! As you can see from the video thumbnail, Greg was joined on stage by motoring journalist Quentin Willson and 1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill as he outlined the Octopus Power Pack consumer offer:

Power Pack Bundle gives a car lease, two-way charger, and a smart tariff for £299/month with 100% FREE smart charging – saving £1,000/year on fuel vs petrol.

The EV part of the bundle is the BYD Dolphin, which I test drove when I was up in Harrogate last year to contribute to two V2x panel discussions at the Everything Electric North show:

Particularly since I’m not a fan of big SUVs the Dolphin seemed to me to be a really quite desirable car, with more bells and whistles than the MG4 in which we drove up to Yorkshire.

The “two-way charger” is a bi-directional version of the Zaptec Pro, which I have no experience with as yet. I cannot help but wonder how many people have in fact used the bidirectional version at this point in time, but for the rest of us here’s what the unidirectional flavour looks like. Perhaps it helps to imagine it with a pretty pink wrap?

Following the Power Pack Bundle launch I took a straw poll on LinkedIn inviting comments on what I referred to as the “Octopus + BYD consumer offer”. So far everybody has been extremely enthusiastic. I am somewhat less so. As I put it on the Giga Theatre stage at Everything Electric North 2024:

The grid, it’s still too much ‘top down’, and it needs to be more ‘bottom up’!

There’s another potential problem that I can foresee with this particular offer. As the afternoon progressed it became clear that the technology enabling bidirectional power transfer employed by Octopus, Zaptec and BYD is to at least some degree “non standard”. I also cannot help but wonder about the potential danger of future “vendor lock-in”.

Now also seems like the perfect time to direct the attention of Greg, Quentin, Damon et al. to another recent article of mine, catchily entitled “BSI Requests Comments on a New Draft of PAS 1878“. At the risk of repeating myself:

This PAS specifies the following aspects of a system for the delivery of certain demand side response (DSR) services for domestic and small business premises…

A “smart” EV charging station is a special case of an interoperable Energy Smart Appliance...

This PAS is intended to be used by manufacturers of ESAs and CEMs.

Hence here’s another more significant caveat concerning “the world’s first V2G EV bundle”. Amongst the numerous “smart grid” interoperability standards development committees I virtually “sit” on I am the “UK Expert – Vehicle 2 Grid (V2G)” on the British Standards Institution’s L/13 “Smart Grid Policy” committee.

If you follow the handy link above you may notice that other members of that committee include “OFGEM – Office of Gas and Electricity Markets” and “DESNZ – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero”.

Octopus Energy, BYD and Zaptec are conspicuous by their absence from the L/13 committee, although they may conceivably be represented by their respective trade associations. If they haven’t yet commented on the BSI’s request for comments on PAS 1878 Edition 2 I suggest that they do so forthwith. The deadline is still July 9th 2025

Note that Edition 1 of the PAS 1878 and its companion PAS 1879 specifications were published in 2021.

To be continued…

A Renault 5 E-Tech Fleet Powers Utrecht With V2G

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At the beginning of June I attended the “Utrecht Energized” extravaganza at the Jaarbeurs Convention Centre in the heart of Utrecht in the Netherlands. According to Renault’s press release about the event:

Renault Group, MyWheels and We Drive Solar, together with the Municipality of Utrecht, announce the go-live of Europe’s first large‑scale Vehicle‑to‑Grid (V2G) car‑sharing service: Utrecht energized. The initiative supports a more sustainable, efficient energy system in a city where 35 % of rooftops are already fitted with solar panels. Thanks to the V2G technology, electric vehicles can store energy and feed it back to the local grid during peak periods, so renewable power remains available around the clock. By combining a shared‑mobility service with advanced technology, the project keeps the local grid in balance while accelerating the transition to sustainable urban transport.

Here’s Renault Nederland’s brief promotional video:

More about all that in due course, but first of all please note these paragraphs from the press release:

While the technology is market-ready and offers significant benefits – including grid flexibility, reduced energy costs for EV owners, and a lower total cost of ownership – unlocking this potential requires overcoming current regulatory and technical barriers.

Renault Group calls for clear and consistent regulations across Europe, encompassing fiscal incentives, grid fee revisions, streamlined certification processes, and support for smart meter deployment. These measures are crucial to unlocking the potential of V2G and making it a cornerstone of a faster and more sustainable energy transition. Ultimately, this will contribute to turning every EV into a grid asset and powering a faster, smarter shift to a sustainable energy ecosystem.

Then also watch this really rather good video from Imogen Bhogal on the Everything Electric Show’s YouTube channel, in which Jérôme Faton of Mobilize Energy explains the problem:

Just over 8 minutes in Jérôme says:

For the UK, obviously, we’re actively working with our local teams to try to unlock the different barriers. I cannot give you an exact data so far. What I can tell you is that the UK is one of the countries that we want to prioritise for the roll out of V2G in Europe.

Renault clearly wants to stay ahead of the competition. We believe it’s a strong advantage to accelerate the growth of EVs, and we want to launch this service in the UK as soon as possible. As soon as the conditions are met.

And what are the right conditions? According to Imogen at ~ 4 mins 30 secs:

Vehicle-to-grid has to contend with an electricity grid that simply wasn’t designed for two way flow of electricity. It also has to deal with acceptance challenges, around battery health and being left with zero range, and drivers need to be adequately compensated to even be bothered to use a V2G charger.

Of course there’s the myriad of stakeholders. We’re talking utility providers, the grid, the OEMs, the cities, the charging providers, and they all need to be brought into the value of this, to recognise the paradigm shift that vehicle-to-grid represents between energy and mobility, and how they relate to each other.

Getting back to the potential advantages of V2G technology for the humble “consumer”, at ~ 9 mins 35 secs Jérôme says:

Using vehicle-to-grid and plugging [in] the car to give energy back to the network has a massive advantage to the customer. It is just to reduce his electricity bill. In France it’s up to 50% of the electricity bill, and it could be more in countries where there is less stability in the grid, and therefore more potential for services to the grid.

Returning to my own visit to Utrecht, here are the opening remarks of We Drive Solar’s Robin Berg at Utrecht Energized:

This is a special moment, 10 years in the making. In 2019 we had a moment with the Renault Zoe, and the King coming to the test. The collaboration with Renault started about a year before that, and these collaborations have really made this happen, and I’m so happy that today we can make the next step.

To be continued…

Nissan UK Announce V2G Enabled Next Generation LEAF

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There have recently been a series of press releases from Nissan UK about their forthcoming range of electrically powered vehicles. At the end of May Nissan UK announced the electric MICRA. Yesterday they launched what was described as “The all-new LEAF“:

Today marks the debut of the all-new version of the Nissan LEAF – a British-built electric car icon.  

  • The all-new Nissan LEAF is the next step in Nissan’s EV journey, building on its legacy as the world’s first mass-market electric car
  • The sleek, aerodynamic, and spacious crossover design comes with two battery options for an impressive range of up to 375 miles (WLTP), ensuring confident driving for everyday and long-distance trips
  • Delivers a fully connected mobility experience with Google built-in, dual 14.3” screens, and advanced driver assistance technologies
  • Built in Sunderland, UK, as part of Nissan’s EV36Zero initiative, supporting a sustainable electric future for Europe

This third generation of the pioneering LEAF continues to lead the charge in Nissan’s electrification strategy with a sleek design, significantly extended range, and intuitive technology that is seamlessly integrated for today’s connected driver.

Engineered to tackle key barriers to EV adoption, the all-new LEAF has a substantially increased maximum range of up to 375 miles on a single charge for a no-compromise driving experience. It also offers enhanced charging speeds (up to 260 miles of range in 30 minutes) and a suite of technologies that make both driving easier and EV ownership more rewarding.

Since its debut in 2010, the Nissan LEAF has sold close to 700,000 units worldwide, earning its place in history as the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle. Today, Nissan is ushering in a new chapter for this nameplate, re-designed and re-engineered to meet the needs of modern EV customers, while remaining true to its innovative roots…

Designed at Nissan’s Global Design Studio in Atsugi, Japan, the all-new LEAF introduces a stylish silhouette that reflects its dynamic character and aerodynamic efficiency. With a drag coefficient of just 0.25, its sleek design optimises airflow to enhance both performance and range. Flush door handles, a flowing roofline, full under floor cover, and sculpted surfaces create a modern profile, while its signature front and rear lighting delivers a distinct, high-tech identity on the road.

Pretty pictures and low drag coefficients are all very well, but “What about the all new LEAF’s V2x capabilities?” I hear you ask. Heading for the small print I learn that:

The all-new LEAF is engineered for flexibility and confidence – whether in the city or on the highways. Customers can choose between two battery options, both delivering excellent range and real-world usability:

BatteryUsable CapacityWLTP Range
Standard52kWhUp to 270 miles*
Extended75kWhUp to 375 miles*

*Pending final homologation

With a DC fast-charging capability of up to 150kW, all-new LEAF can recover up to 260 miles* in just 30 minutes (*pending homologation). On the highway, it delivers more than 205 miles of range at 130km/h and thanks to the rapid DC charging, journeys over 500 miles can be completed with minimal time difference to ICE vehicles. This impressive range, combined with the spacious interior, makes it both a practical and comfortable choice as the main household car, capable of everything from daily commutes to long-distance travel.

Intelligent battery thermal management ensures fast, consistent charging in a range of temperatures, and now works in tandem with the In-Car Route Planner by Google Maps to automatically set the battery at the optimal temperature when approaching a fast charger, optimising both charging speed and efficiency. The integrated Google system also helps solve the hassle of planning long journeys by automatically identifying the most convenient charging stops along the way.

Equipped with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, the all-new LEAF enables external device charging directly from the car, powering a variety of small to medium sized devices – such as kettles, portable lights, or electric grills – when camping or exploring the great outdoors. Leveraging an available accessory adaptor, customers can utilise an external V2L charging port to conveniently power devices, accessing up to 3.6kW of power. 

Looking ahead, the all-new LEAF is Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) compatible, such that in the future it will be able to send stored energy back to the power grid. This function will help customers reduce energy costs while supporting a more stable and sustainable energy system.

Whilst the final paragraph is of course very welcome given the lack of V2x functionality of Nissan’s Ariya, it is sadly lacking in detail. The press release is accompanied by this image of LEAF 3.0’s CCS2 charging port, including a legend for a series of colour coded flashing lights:

Nevertheless, I am now left hanging on those proverbial tenter hooks, wondering “Where, when and AC or DC V2G?”, amongst numerous other things.

Here’s Nissan’s “All-New Nissan LEAF” promotional video:

Emelia Hartford asks at around 7 min 30 secs “Did you know the LEAF can also power your life?”. Chris and Julie Ramsey then demonstrate the new LEAF’s vehicle-to-load capabilities. Emelia adds “In some markets you can even use the power of the LEAF, sending it back to the grid”. Sadly that doesn’t answer my questions about the UK market.

To be continued..

Nissan Announce V2L Enabled Electric MICRA

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Earlier this week Nissan UK announced that:

The all-new, sixth-generation Nissan MICRA will return to the B-segment in 2025 as a fully-connected, pure EV. Combining an assertive personality with zero-emission mobility, the new MICRA will stay true to its guiding principles as a stylish and unpretentious car, which has underpinned its popularity and success as an iconic compact car across five generations and more than 40 years.

Its arrival signals the next major step in Nissan’s bold product offensive in Europe, where the company will introduce four new fully electric models by 2027 as part of its push towards electrification. These include the all-new MICRA, followed by the Nissan LEAF, Nissan JUKE, and a A-Segment model, as well as the upgraded third generation of Nissan’s unique e-Power technology – to be rolled out on the best-selling Nissan Qashqai.

Needless to say I headed straight for the V2x small print, where I read that:

Available for the first time as a fully electric model, new MICRA offers worry-free EV driving that’s perfect for daily life. Available in two battery options – 40kWh and 52kWh – the model offers significant power and range for an urban car:

Battery capacity40kWh52kWh
Max power90kW110kW
Max torque225Nm245Nm
Range192 miles253 miles
Weight1400kg1524kg

*all figures subject to homologation

While primarily designed as a car for the urban jungle, the 52kWh battery and impressive 253 miles  real-world range means that when done cutting a swathe through busy streets, drivers can escape to the country without range anxiety.

When a charge is needed, new MICRA offers one of the best quick charge options available in the category. Thanks to its 100kW DC charger (or 80kw on the 40kWh version), quick charging from 15%-80% takes a convenient 30 minutes. To maximise the charging efficiency, a heat pump is standard on both battery options, as well as battery heating and cooling capability.

To help provide even more benefits from going fully electric, the new MICRA will be equipped with V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) technology on both battery versions, giving owners the option to use the electrical capacity in the battery to power external devices, such as speakers, air pumps, or even vacuum cleaners – ideal for owners who will meticulously cherish their MICRA.

The news about the new MICRA’s vehicle-to-load functionality is very welcome of course, as is the part about “battery heating and cooling capability”! However, no mention of any vehicle-to-grid capability is disappointing. Now I cannot wait to hear more about the promised “all-new Nissan LEAF”!

The Kraken/EPRI “Mercury Consortium” Launch

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Last week there was a significant “Energy Technology” announcement in Manchester. This article was supposed to be written/published last weekend, but Storm Darragh and our subsequent 20 hour power cut proved more than capable of disrupting the carefully laid plans of both mice and men!

Hastily returning to a rather damp Manchester on December 5th, here is a recording of the meat of the initial presentation by Devrim Celal, Chief Marketing and Flexibility Officer of KrakenFlex Limited, speaking at the launch of the “Mercury Consortium” at the “UK’s first energy tech superhub”:

Devrim’s presentation was followed by a panel session with representatives of four “manufacturers”, which we will cover at a future date. After a “networking break” there was another panel session with speakers from four “utilities”, introduced by Arshad Mansoor who is President and CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute. Here’s what Arshad had to say:

Think of a vision, where in the next 6 months there is a Mercury guide book, guidelines, for batteries that are used in homes. And let’s say that guide book, guideline, Mercury book says “Here are the functionalities that a battery should have”. Let’s say that one of the functionalities is “provide frequency response to the grid”. One of many, that will document all of the functionalities. Then for each one of those functionalities for frequency response it will document what are the requirements for you to offer that functionality. Maybe latency is 50 milliseconds, I don’t know, maybe something. Then it will look at what grid services you should do, maybe under voltage protection, frequency ride through. It will talk about what kind of control and communication you need. It will talk about cybersecurity. All these standards exist.

Which brings me back to Devrim’s presentation, during which he presented this slide of “standards” which the Mercury Consortium will presumably be referencing, but not changing:

Now here’s the thing. Regular readers may recall that on November 22nd I attended the kick off meeting of IEC SyC SE ahG 11? If you click that link you will you will discover that ad hoc Group 11’s mission is:

To consider the implementation of international residential flexibility system standards, their compatibility with national requirements, and propose best practice:

* To ensure the compatibility of end-to-end system solutions at international level,

etc. etc.

To the best of my knowledge none of the organisations represented at the Mercury Consortium launch either in person or on Devrim’s “standards” slide are also represented on the learned International Electrotechnical Commission committee set up to solve what sounds to be remarkably like the very same problem that Mercury is intending to address.

It’s hard to be sure at this early stage, but based on the information revealed at the Mercury Consortium launch event I get the distinct impression that their approach to “residential flexibility” differs from that of the international standards community. Mercury seems intent on “direct” control of domestic “energy smart appliances” by “utilities” and “aggregators”, whereas the assorted standards bodies on the European side of the North Atlantic favour “indirect” control. I’d hazard a guess that most of the Mercury consortium members have yet to take on board the message of the British Standard Institution’s 2021 PAS 1878 “guide to industry“, BS EN 50491-12-2:2022, or the work of the IEC SC 23K committee on the 63402 series of international standards.

Be that as it may, the Mercury Consortium launch event concluded with a “fireside chat” between Greg Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Octopus Energy, and Lawrence Jones, Senior Vice President, International Relations of the Edison Electric Institute:

Please note in particular Greg’s closing remarks:

I think what we’ve got to do, what we have a responsibility to do, is to share far more than we normally would, so that the World changes faster, and then we just have to bet on ourselves to win in that game.

But ultimately, in this sector unlike almost any other, I actually think that’s a winning strategy…

We do have to relax a little bit, when… everyone’s trying to divide “the pie” to get their value share, and in doing so they are just making the pie smaller. We’ve got to get out and make a massive pie, and then we’ll use the 2030’s to work out who gets what.

Hear, hear Greg!

And just in case it’s of interest to the nascent Mercury Consortium, we’ve been betting on ourselves since the “artistic impression” of the SaMDES project at the top of this article was created when we changed the company name in 2012.

Europe’s first large-scale car-sharing service utilizing Vehicle-to-Grid technology

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In a press release earlier today Renault announced that:

In response to the massive growth of renewable energy in the Netherlands, Renault Group, We Drive Solar, MyWheels and the City of Utrecht have joined forces to launch Europe’s first large-scale car-sharing service utilizing Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology.

  • Renault Group will supply 500 Renault 5 E-Tech electric equipped with Mobilize’s V2G technology.
  • We Drive Solar will provide and operate bidirectional charging stations.
  • MyWheels, the leading car-sharing platform in the Netherlands, will operate the fleet.


Utrecht is taking a bold step towards more sustainable mobility with this groundbreaking collaboration. This initiative aims to facilitate the large-scale availability of electric shared mobility while offering an innovative way to balance the city’s electric grid through bi-directional charging technology. The Netherlands has become a world leader in the roll-out of solar and wind energy, causing challenges on the electricity grid. Utrecht is one of the most advanced European cities in using renewable energy, with already 35% of all rooftops covered with solar panels.

As part of the agreement signed yesterday at the Dutch embassy in Paris, the partners would deploy a fleet of 500 Renault electric vehicles in Utrecht, initially consisting of the iconic Renault 5. These vehicles, available through a car-sharing service operated by MyWheels, would utilize V2G bi-directional charging technology developed by Mobilize, Renault Group’s brand dedicated to new mobilities. This would mark the first time this technology is used to benefit public infrastructure. 500 bidirectional cars could provide 10% of the needed flexibility in Utrecht Region to balance solar- and wind energy for usage during peak-hours.

The fleet could eventually feature the Renault 4 E-Tech electric, Megane E-Tech electric and Scenic E-Tech electric further demonstrating Renault Group’s commitment to sustainable mobility and innovation. Their compact design and advanced technology make them ideal for urban car-sharing programs in cities transitioning to more sustainable mobility solutions. The use of Mobilize’s V2G technology would represent a significant step forward, allowing We Drive Solar’s public infrastructure and services to contribute to a more resilient and sustainable energy system on a large scale.

Renault’s vehicles equipped with Mobilize’s V2G technology would enable users to charge their vehicles with clean energy and feed power back into the grid during high demand. This not only reduces overall electricity costs but also helps stabilize the grid and further integrate renewable energy sources. We Drive Solar, an international leader in smart charging, would provide its advanced bidirectional charging solutions. Starting in Utrecht, all new bidirectional public AC chargers would be rolled-out to support the V2G access toolkit provided by Mobilize. Renault’s vehicles would be operated by MyWheels, the largest car-sharing company in the Netherlands. With this initiative, MyWheels would set a new standard for car-sharing services by integrating mobility and energy solutions to address modern urban challenges.

I cannot help but wonder when the announcement of the UK’s first small-scale car-sharing service utilizing Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology will occur?

V2G at the 361 Energy Fair in Barnstaple

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The 361 Energy Fair is back in Barnstaple on September 29th. The 2024 event starts at 10 AM in the Pannier Market with an introduction by Ian Roome, the newly elected Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon.

To give you a better idea of what to expect, here’s a video with extracts from previous 361 energy fairs:

For the first time this year’s fair includes a series of talks on a variety of topics. Our very own Jim Hunt will be giving a presentation on the topic of “An introduction to V2x, making greater use of EV batteries”, and the emphasis will be on vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-building rather than fully fledged vehicle-to-grid.

The event includes exhibitions from a variety of local electric car dealers, and several of the EVs are V2x enabled. I suspect the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will attract a lot of interest. Here’s Jack Scarlett’s review of “the most engaging electric driver’s car yet?” for the Fully Charged Show:

Also on display in the Pannier Market will be the Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric “surf bus”…

The ID. Buzz in Barcelona

the Kia EV6…

and the Ford E-Transit van:

[Update – September 30th]

Yesterday proved to be rather a damp and blustery day, but we managed to reach the Barnstaple Pannier Market after suffering only a mild sprinkling of rain. This is the sight that greeted us:

Image: Olga Vynnyk

The presentations were taking place in the Studio KIND gallery in the Corn Store at the far left corner of that picture, where it quickly became apparent that things were running considerably behind schedule! That meant we got to hear Paul Rogers from National Energy Action talking about “Heating your home with a Heat Pump”:

Image: Jim Hunt

Followed by Frank Benbow from 361 Energy CIC dispelling some of the myths about “Electric vehicles and charging”:

Image: Jim Hunt

Things were becoming a bit rushed by the time I got up to speak, but here’s yours truly swiftly running through the differences between the “AC” and “DC” varieties of V2x technology with an image of the forthcoming Renault 5 E-Tech and our prototype single phase AC vehicle-to-home wallbox:

Image: Olga Vynnyk

I ended up skipping some of the more technical bits of my presentation, but you can download the whole thing here. The other presentations are available for download from the 361 Energy CIC web site.

By the time the presentations were over many of the EVs had already departed, but I did manage to discuss the Hyundai Ioniq 5N with a representative of Devonshire Motors. Apparently a few have been sold in the West Country, but I have yet to see or hear one of them out on the road!

Image: Jim Hunt

Now I cannot help but wonder when the Ioniq 5 and other Hyundai EVs will be available in the UK, equipped with fully fledged vehicle-to-grid technology?

The Great South West Powerhouse

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I had high hopes for what I dubbed the “South West Powerhouse” back in 2015, when I attended the launch of Molly Scott Cato’s “The Power to Transform the South West” report in Glastonbury. Here’s Molly, the then Green Party MEP for South West England, describing that vision from the podium:

After the presentations were over I bumped into a researcher from the University of Exeter, who didn’t look very well. I enquired after his health, and he explained that it wasn’t a physical problem. It had just been announced that the then Conservative / Lib Dem coalition Government had published its so called “Productivity Plan“, which claimed to be:

Creating a more prosperous nation.

The plan included the following weasel words:

The government does not intend to proceed with the zero carbon Allowable Solutions carbon offsetting scheme, or the proposed 2016 increase in on-site energy efficiency standards.

An unfortunate side effect of the cunning Conservative plan was that the vehicle-to-grid pilot project at South West Exeter that I’d just been discussing with Molly was instantly consigned to the recycle bin of history. Hence I wrote the first of several subsequent “open letters” to Mel Stride, recent candidate for leadership of the Conservative Party and my then Member of Parliament:

https://V2G.co.uk/2015/07/an-open-letter-to-mel-stride-george-osborne-david-cameron-et-al/

Much more recently I found myself on stage at the Everything Electric North event in Harrogate, where I exhorted to audience to “get out and vote!”, a message echoed by presenter Robert Llewellyn:

Lots of people did just that, and there is now a new administration in Westminster. What’s more much of the south west peninsula has turned from blue to orange and red on the electoral map:

There’s even a small patch of green just out of picture; Carla Denyer’s seat in Bristol Central.

On Friday the BBC reported that:

Business leaders and politicians have put their cases for a South West powerhouse to the government.

The Great South West Partnership has brought together leaders from industry, politics and academia to work on promoting Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset as one unit on the national stage.

The partnership believes the region could be a leading force in issues of defence, energy and food production and is holding a conference with 500 guests expected.

Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry, was the keynote speaker at the conference, which was held at Sandy Park, home to the Exeter Chiefs rugby team…

Ms Jones told the conference the potential of the power industry was “huge” if people worked together.

“The innovation, the ideas and potential is huge,” she said.
“I think the best way to realise that potential is for people to work together so they can make the case for growth, innovation, and reform. I think that is really important.

“What is really clear is there is a lot of potential we could be unlocking here.”

I have some innovative ideas that I’d love to discuss with Sarah and/or her team. I left a message on her voicemail on Friday, but she hasn’t got back to me yet.

To be continued…

V2G at Everything Electric NORTH 2024

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I was fortunate enough to find myself on stage for two different panel sessions at the Everything Electric NORTH show in Harrogate last weekend. We recorded those two sessions in full for posterity, but there were plenty of other interesting topics apart from V2x. Some extracts from those can also be found below.

My first panel on Saturday was on the topic of “Vehicle to Everything? What’s the true potential?”, held in the EEN “Giga Theatre”. The tagline for the session was “We believe that V2X could be the biggest benefit of all in a world with battery electric vehicles, but how do we go ‘bidirectional’?”:

As you can see from the video below, I found myself sat next to Robert Llewellyn of Fully Charged fame as a last minute replacement for host Dan Caesar:

Mark Potter from 3ti explained the full suite of V2x three letter acronyms (TLAs for short).

  • V2L = vehicle-to-load
  • V2H = vehicle-to-home
  • V2B = vehicle-to-building
  • V2G = vehicle-to-grid
  • V2I = vehicle-to-infrastructure
  • V2V = vehicle-to-vehicle

I added a couple of less familiar four letter acronyms (FLAs for short) to Mark’s list:

  • V2µG = vehicle-to-micro-grid
  • V2nG = vehicle-to-nano-grid (AKA V2H)

Robert helpfully provided an explanation of “V2µG”:

Vehicle to a “local area grid”, like a few houses or a few buildings or a few offices.

Sunday’s panel was also in the Giga Theatre, this time on the related topic of “How can Grid x Home x Car come together for 2035?”, with the tagline “If there is to be a silver bullet in energy and transport it will be the bringing together of grid, home and car – when and how will they intersect? “.

Robert asked me “Can you do, for me, the very basic differentiation between the two commonly used ways of getting electricity out of cars, AC and DC?“

I replied “I can try!“. Skip to 5:30 in the video below to see for yourself whether I succeeded or not.

At ~ 27:30 in the video above, in response to a pertinent question from the audience, I uttered a carefully calibrated four letter word when attempting to get my message across to the assembled throng. Followed by:

The grid, it’s still too much ‘top down’, and it needs to be more ‘bottom up’!

Robert clarified my remark by adding that:

One would hope it will be a blend of the two. That consumers are buying the cars and going ‘hang on a minute, I’ve got a massive battery sat outside my house and I can’t use it to run my cooker’. And from the top down you can see the obvious benefits of having a million electric vehicles on the road. Even that is a million kilowatt-hours, if you take one from each.

To be continued…

UK Government Announces £185 Million EV Charging Funding

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In a press release this morning the United Kingdom Government’s Department for Transport announced that:

Charging electric vehicles is set to get even easier thanks to hundreds of millions of funding made available for local authorities, homeowners and renters today.

The government continues to deliver its £381 million Local Electric Vehicle (LEVI) fund to councils, which can choose where is best to install chargepoints in their local area. Following the approval of the first five local authority applications in February, payments to 44 additional councils from Torbay to Tees Valley, worth over £185 million, have now been approved to help residents charge their vehicles.

The funding will support the delivery of thousands of chargepoints across England, helping more drivers get from A to B easily and supporting families in making the switch. Additionally, the local authorities that have already been allocated to the second round of LEVI funding will be able to apply to the fund from 2 April 2024, following those who have received funding in the first round and in a further boost to the chargepoint rollout.

In Devon and Cornwall the funding allocation is:

Cornwall & Scilly £5,509,000
Devon£7,067,000
Plymouth£2,415,000
Torbay£958,000

In a press release of their own today, Devon County Council add further details:

The announcement follows our adoption of the Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy last year.

In the Strategy, we highlight that a key barrier to the uptake of EVs in Devon is the availability of suitable charging infrastructure, particularly in remote and rural areas.

To address this, the our Strategy recommends that we support the delivery of 2,000 more charging points by 2030.

It adds that there should be a particular focus on charging points on residential streets in rural and remote areas with electric grid constraints, where higher uptakes of EVs are forecast and communities without or with limited access to off-street parking.

The delivery of Devon’s LEVI scheme is set to begin in 2025 and will significantly expand on an already growing network of on and off-street EV charging points.

The DfT press release also announced additional financial support for EV owners who cannot charge their car in their own garage on on their driveway:

To further support electric vehicle (EV) drivers and families looking to switch to electric, the government is ensuring households without driveways or dedicated parking spaces can access the electric vehicle chargepoint grant. Delivering on our Plan for Drivers commitment to make EVs a more practical option, the £350 grant will be widened to those who own or rent and have access to adequate street parking.

The funding will drive down the cost of EV ownership by providing up to 75% off the cost of purchasing and installing a chargepoint, and applicants must also have permission from their council to install a cross-pavement charging solution. Applications can be made online.