Pilot projects using bidirectional charging equipment are turning electric vehicles into battery storage units, feeding energy back onto the grid when needed. Fleet vehicles are seen as prime opportunity for the tech.

In the first year and with only one electric car, the city of Boulder, Colo., saved $250 a month in electric charges thanks to a bidirectional car charger.

The pilot project was an attempt to explore the concept of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) car charging, which generally follows the idea of using the EV’s battery to charge when energy is less expensive and then discharge that energy either directly onto the electric grid, or into the building the charger is connected to, as a way to reduce the building's electric needs from the grid.

V2X — often interchanged with vehicle to grid (V2G) — is being explored as another value proposition for EV owners, who are always interested in the long-term cost savings that come with electric cars, as well as a mechanism for designing resiliency and management into the electric grid.

The idea of using EVs as battery storage — for other outside uses — may sound simple, but it’s a concept still in its infancy and is one that will require the coordination of car makers, technology providers, utilities and regulators to work together to make bidirectional charging and discharging a common feature of owning and operating EVs.

Another project in New York City will use EVs operated by Revel, a ride-share company. The project will use vehicle-to-everything technology from Fermata Energy and clean energy developer NineDot to deploy a bidirectional charging system that moves energy from vehicles back to the grid.

(Read this article in its entirety on Government Technology.)

About Fermata Energy

Park it. Plug it. Profit.TM Fermata Energy’s proprietary vehicle-to-everything (V2X) software platform and bidirectional chargers turn EVs into mobile energy storage assets, making it possible for EVs owners to combat climate change, increase energy resilience, and reduce energy costs. Learn more at www.fermataenergy.com, and follow us on Twitter (@FermataEnergy) and LinkedIn.