Bidirectional Electric Vehicle and Charging Framework
Imagine a world where transportation and energy networks work together as a single symbiotic system capable of delivering transport and energy storage services. This new symbiosis could create new value streams while simultaneously addressing battery supply and grid resilience issues and mitigating the challenges associated with integrating intermittent renewable energy generation.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) conservatively estimates there will be 130 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road globally by 2030. In addition to increasing electricity demand, these EVs will contain 10 times the amount of energy storage needed by the grid. The IEA's most aggressive estimate, 250 million EVs, would mean 6% of the batteries in the automotive fleet could potentially meet all of the grid's energy-storage needs.
If those EVs are bidirectional, then under the right conditions they could serve as both mobility and energy storage assets. That means along with sending power back to the grid, they could deliver new monetization opportunities as well.
EVs as a Mobility Asset and an Energy Asset
Bidirectional EVs could also provide more capacity than smart charging alone could provide. This attribute would not only support grid resilience but also improve the cost competitiveness of EVs and distributed renewable energy generation projects.
Unlocking the full potential of bidirectional EVs will require understanding the unique perspectives of key stakeholders. The Office of Technology Transitions' (OTT) Rima Oueid coauthored a new report with Argonne National Laboratory, Considerations for Building the Business Cases for Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging, which explores framing the benefits of bidirectional charging to address the needs and priorities of plug-in electric vehicle owners, building owners, and utilities/grid operators.
For more information or to learn how to partner with us, please contact Rima Oueid, Commercialization Executive, OTT, U.S. Department of Energy, at Rima.Oueid@hq.doe.gov.
Download the Report from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Considerations for Building the Business Cases for Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging