Nissan trials system to let Leaf owners sell electricity back to the grid

Vehicle-to-grid trials begin as part of £30million Government investment scheme; owners could benefit from free electricity

When the new Nissan Leaf was officially unveiled, much was made of its ability to absorb and feed back unused electricity to the national grid, helping balance out demand.

That process, known as vehicle-to-grid, or V2G, technology, was only theoretically possible at the time, though, as UK infrastructure wasn’t geared up to facilitate it.

BP to install electric chargers at UK forecourts

But a new trial, spearheaded by Nissan and the Government’s Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV), will see 1,000 vehicle-to-grid charging stations built in order to assess the future viability of V2G tech. The V2G process essentially allows electric cars and the national grid to communicate with each other, and offers a number of opportunities for owners of electric vehicles (EVs).

They can opt to use off-peak electricity to charge their vehicles, for example, saving money as a result. Or, should they wish, EV owners can be paid by energy suppliers to feed electricity stored in their cars’ batteries back to the grid.

This last option appeals to owners for obvious reasons, while energy companies benefit from the ability to better manage electricity supply during times of peak demand. V2G also turns electric cars into a network of storage batteries, helping to better manage solar, wind and other renewable generation methods. This allows, for example, surplus energy generated during particularly sunny or windy days to be stored in vehicle batteries for later use.

The £30million investment will be split between eight feasibility studies, five research projects and eight real-world V2G trials. The V2G trials are being run by the Government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, and will see 1,000 V2G stations built over three years thanks to £9.8million in earmarked funding.

• Best electric cars 2018

Information generated by the chargers will be collected by a data “aggregator”, and used to “understand the technical characteristics of vehicle-to-grid charging for both the vehicles and the electricity networks”.

Nissan said the V2G trials could generate around £350 a year for Leaf owners, and served to “reiterate” the company’s “mission to offer customers free power for their EVs".

Electric cars are becoming ever more popular, but could you live with one? Allow us to explain the the pros and cons...

Recommended

£3bn for Nissan Sunderland to build all-electric Juke, Qashqai and next-generation Leaf
Nissan Sunderland
News

£3bn for Nissan Sunderland to build all-electric Juke, Qashqai and next-generation Leaf

The UK’s largest car plant will receive huge investment to build Nissan’s next generation of EVs
24 Nov 2023
New Nissan Hyper Force Concept unveiled: is the GT-R going electric?
Nissan Hyper Force Concept - front static
News

New Nissan Hyper Force Concept unveiled: is the GT-R going electric?

The final of Nissan’s five Tokyo Motor Show concept cars is a 1,341bhp electric supercar with solid-state battery technology
25 Oct 2023
The new Nissan Hyper Punk is a concept car for influencers 
Nissan Hyper Punk – front
News

The new Nissan Hyper Punk is a concept car for influencers 

Nissan says the Hyper Punk offers seamless connectivity between the ‘virtual and physical’ world 
19 Oct 2023
Don’t get angry! New Nissan Hyper Tourer concept can monitor your moods
New Nissan Hyper Tourer concept - front
News

Don’t get angry! New Nissan Hyper Tourer concept can monitor your moods

The new Nissan Hyper Tourer electric MPV concept will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show
17 Oct 2023

Most Popular

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’
Opinion - Fiat Scudo
Opinion

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’

With some huge savings to be had, Mike Rutherford thinks a van could be the perfect vehicle
3 Dec 2023
New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 EV concept at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

Renault’s reborn Renault 5 will start from €25,000 in Europe, suggesting a circa-£30k price in the UK. It's due on sale in the summer of 2024. Here's …
1 Dec 2023
Deal of the Day: Vauxhall Grandland is an ideal family SUV for £210 per month
Vauxhall Grandland front cornering
News

Deal of the Day: Vauxhall Grandland is an ideal family SUV for £210 per month

Vauxhall’s largest SUV can be had for the same price as most superminis, making it our Deal of the Day for 1 December
1 Dec 2023