Mobility of the future
Bidirectional charging: 50 Mobility cars become power banks
22.09.2022
The “V2X Suisse” pilot project turns 50 electric cars from car sharing provider Mobility into power banks. When not being driven, the cars return electric power to the power grid, relieving the burden on the network.
Ever since our founding, we’ve been searching for innovative and sustainable solutions. In line with this is our goal of electrifying our entire fleet by 2030. Of course, we know that increasing e-mobility also poses challenges, which is why we joined forces with a number of strong partners to Project “V2X Suisse” launched. The basic idea is that electric cars not only consume electricity, but can also feed energy back into the grid when they are not being driven. On the 6th September 2022, the V2X project was officially launched in Bern.
What is bidirectional charging?
The idea behind V2X and bidirectional charging is that electric cars not only use electricity but can also return it to the grid when they aren’t being driven. So essentially, households can draw power from their electric cars during peak hours, and then fully recharge them overnight at a cheaper rate.
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How is this supposed to work?
Cars spend an average of 23 hours a day parked. Thanks to V2X technology, these stationary vehicles become mobile power banks that together represent a large store of energy. They allow distribution grid operators and households to make use of the electricity they contain at peak times. The situation is, of course, different for car sharing, as our vehicles are being used more. Thanks to the reservation system, the technology can decide when to charge or discharge the battery. This means that our customers always have enough power on their batteries and do not experience any disadvantages.
Why is V2X needed?
More and more people are buying electric vehicles in Switzerland. This increase in e-mobility can be seen as a positive trend, but it also boosts the demand for energy. One of the major challenges is how to buffer the energy so that there’s always enough available, especially at peak times. E-cars capable of bidirectional charging can be a smart and cost-effective solution, and they contribute to grid stability. In other words: e-vehicles supporting V2X technology will be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
Who’s involved in the project?
A project of this size and complexity can only be realised as a team. Mobility is managing the project; alongside it are car manufacturer Honda, software platform sun2wheel, charging station developer EVTEC and aggregator tiko. Novatlantis is on board as scientific adviser. The project is supported under the pilot and demonstration programme run by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).
What makes this project so special?
From September 2022, 50 Honda e all-electric urban cars will be available at around 40 Mobility stations throughout Switzerland for a period of one year. This makes V2X Suisse the first large-scale trial of its kind.
Why is the project such a good fit for Mobility?
Firstly: since its founding in 1997, Mobility has always thought differently and done things differently from others. And secondly: Mobility wants to achieve climate neutrality. That’s why it’s set itself the goal of electrifying its entire fleet by 2030. “Given that context, we’re naturally very interested in new technologies that help us achieve this goal,” says Roland Lötscher The Mobility CEO sees V2X technology as a “huge opportunity” for Mobility.
What is “V2X-Suisse”?
The temporary research project ran operationally from autumn 2022 to spring 2024. Fifty bidirectional Honda e-cars were integrated into Mobility’s regular car sharing system. It was the first large-scale test of bidirectional charging electric cars in Switzerland. It was intended to show how this technology can be used to break peak loads in the power grid and how solar power stations can optimise their own consumption. It also wanted to investigate the business potential of bidirectional vehicles in Switzerland and test the competition between potential flexibility buyers at three grid levels (Swissgrid, distribution grid operators and private consumption alliance).
The final report will be published on ARAMIS (the Federal Administration’s research database) in summer 2024. ARAMIS – The Federal Administration’s research database – Home page (admin.ch)
Conclusion: The project proved the technical feasibility and gave impetus to the bidirectional technology. It showed that in addition to the tried-and-tested V2H (vehicle-to-home), V2 G (vehicle-to-grid) also works technically, both for the grid and the system. However, it is not yet worthwhile for a car sharing company to operate economically.
The following companies were involved in the project in addition to Mobility: Automobile manufacturers Honda, Software developer sun2wheel, Charging station developer EVTEC, aggregators tiko, scientific support by novatlantis, in collaboration with the ETH. The project will be supported by the pilot and demonstration programme of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE support.