Nissan signs up to smart grid scheme
Nissan has joined up with Italian energy supplier ENEL to trial the idea of 'Smart Grids' using electric cars. The two companies will work together to set up “innovative vehicle-to-grid systems that allow owners to use their car as a movable energy hub - using, storing or returning energy to the grid.” The smart grid trials will begin in Denmark, before rolling out in other European countries, and will see EV owners avoid peak tariffs for household energy, with the car able to supply either the home or national grid with power during high demand periods such as evenings after normal working hours.

Nissan will commence Smart Grid trials in partnership with multinational energy manufacturer and distributor, ENEL. In March, Nissan and Endesa, an Enel Group subsidiary, had signed an agreement at the Geneva International Motor Show pledging to work together to deliver a mass-market V2G system and an innovative business model designed to leverage this technology. ( Earlier post .)

At the 21 st UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris this week, Nissan announced the development of a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) system which will allow drivers to operate as individual energy hubs with the ability to store, use or return electricity to the grid.

As part of the partnership, Nissan and ENEL have committed to working together, to explore:

Introducing this technology to the European market;

The extended use of ‘second life’ electric vehicles batteries for static applications;

Designing and evaluating potential affordable energy and mobility pack offers.



Endesa 10 kW bidirectional charging point for EVs. Click to enlarge.

Nissan’s Vehicle-to-Grid system allows customers to take control of the type of energy they consume, avoiding peak tariffs and generating additional household income during peak times.

Using a special two-way charger and energy management system developed by Nissan in partnership with ENEL, LEAF owners can connect to charge at low-demand, cheap tariff periods, with an option to then use the electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery at home when costs are higher, or even feed back to the grid to generate additional household income.

Endesa first showcased its V2G technology in 2008 in Smartcity Malaga, the Enel Group testing ground for smart cities.

Later on, in 2012, Endesa presented the evolution of such technology at the ZEM2ALL demonstrator. ZEM2ALL was a joint initiative between Spain and Japan, supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), and Malaga City Council.