Wanted: 100 electric car drivers for energy-saving test
Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson |
A major energy retailer is looking to recruit 100 electric car owners willing to plug their vehicles into the national electricity grid to save money.
AGL announced plans to test vehicle-to-grid technology on Wednesday in one of the largest commercial trials to date after partnering with four car brands and two bi-direction charging firms.
The pilot program is the second to be launched this week and comes after the federal government revealed half of all new car sales would need to be electric to meet its 2035 emissions reduction target.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology works by connecting a car to a bi-directional charger that can manage the flow of energy in two directions – to charge the vehicle or to feed electricity back into the grid.
AGL’s trial will provide discounts on bi-directional chargers for the first 50 participants, and will seek to recruit an additional 50 households with their own equipment.
The trial would support vehicles from Hyundai, Kia, BYD and Zeekr, AGL electrification and innovation general manager Jane Butler said, after the energy firm joined with the companies to secure warranty extensions.
“The big question is really around consumer acceptance and that is why we’re designing the trial in this way and have partnered with (manufacturers) to make sure we manage things like warranty provisions on the cars,” she told AAP.
“Ultimately, it’s a form of transport first and it’s a bonus if customers can also power their homes.”
Participants in the year-long trial will be able to plug their vehicle into a specialised charger to charge it, power their home with surplus power, or feed electricity into the grid during peak demand.
Selling energy back into the grid would earn participants credits on their accounts, AGL innovation and strategy head Renae Gasmier said, lowering household expenditure.
“EV owners really want to be able to reduce their home energy costs,” she said.
A V2G study for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency found electric car owners could make gains of up to $12,000 a year by selling power back into the grid.
Enabling the technology in Australia would help to tackle costs for a growing number of households adopting new car technology, Electric Vehicle Council chief executive officer Julie Delvecchio said.
“Electric vehicles can store five times more energy than a typical home battery – a huge untapped resource sitting in our driveways,” she said.
“With around 350,000 EVs already on Australian roads, the potential is extraordinary and trials like this will help turn this opportunity into reality.”
Energy firm Origin has also announced plans to launch a V2G trial in Australia next year by offering 50 BYD electric cars and bi-directional chargers in subscription packages.
Amber Energy is also testing the technology with a limited number of participants, and V2G has been studied by researchers at the Australian National University and the CSIRO.
AAP
