A new project that will test the viability of vehicle-to-grid technology in regards to the power of electric vehicles in London has invited fleets from across the UK to sign up to it. Run by a consortium of partners led by global IT and networking specialist Cisco and including Transport for London, the Greater London Authority, Cenex, Nuvve, Imperial College London and E-Car Club, the E-Flex project will test V2G with 200 operational electric vehicles in real-world fleets to explore the potential economic benefits.
Moreover, the project will also be looking at the role VG2 could play in reducing the demand that mass adoption of EVs will eventually put on energy networks, especially at peak times, under the Government’s ambition, first announced in 2011, to end sales of ‘conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans’ by 2040.
Those that will take part in the E-Flex trial will have the opportunity to:
- Test and improve EVs in a real-world environment, receiving a free 10kW bidirectional charger(s) and installation, with annual maintenance and 24/7 support included
- Lower costs of running a zero-emissions fleet through energy savings and unlock new services and opportunities for customers
- Become a greener brand and have a positive impact on the environment, monitoring savings through a fleet monitoring dashboard and application
“The market opportunity for V2G is huge when you consider that the UK government has outlined that all new cars and vans should be effectively zero emission in little over 20 years’ time. E-Flex is about testing whether V2G provides a solution to the main challenge of making this a reality: developing an economically and environmentally viable business model for EVs,” said Maria Hernandez, head of innovation, Cisco UK & Ireland.
More recently, the Road to Zero Strategy has set out an ‘ambition’ that by 2030, at least 50% – and as many as 70% – of new car registrations will be ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), alongside up to 40% of new vans.
