Audi is investigating the potential for vehicle-to-grid
charging systems for its future electric cars.
Working with energy infrastructure company Hager Group, Audi
has developed an E-Tron
Sportback prototype capable of vehicle-to-grid charging. The prototype
is being used to test how energy stored in an EV's battery could be sold back
to the grid or used to power a home.
Where would such a system make sense? Imagine you had solar
panels collecting energy during the day. Any excess energy you don't use in
your home can be stored in your car. Then, during the busy hours at night when
electricity rates are high, your car can sell the stored excess energy back to
the grid. The car then charges itself up from the grid overnight when
electricity rates are lower. In this way, you don't even have to have solar
panels to benefit.
There's another benefit, too. During a blackout, your car
could be used to power your home. Audi says the typical EV battery could power
a home for a week.
Charging software manages the optimum use of the battery,
helping to maximize the cost-effectiveness of the system. This software would
also ensure there's a minimum state of charge so that the owner won't be stuck
if he or she needs to suddenly use the car. The owner doesn't have to do
anything apart from plugging in their car. For its prototype, Audi is using a
DC wall box that enables charging at up to 12 kilowatts.
“Maintaining mobility is at the center of our attention,”
Martin Dehm, technical project manager for vehicle-to-grid charging at Audi,
said in a statement. “Customers therefore don’t need to restrict themselves in
order to make (vehicle-to-grid) charging suitable for everyday use.”
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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