Multimillion-dollar bid to make electric fleets pay up

A $5.35 million, three-year trial will commence to determine if electric vehicles' batteries can alleviate pressure on the grid and generate income while stationary. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced the trial on Wednesday, in collaboration with Jet Charge, AGL, and the ACT government. This marks Australia's largest commercial deployment of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

Vehicle-to-grid technology enables electricity to flow both into a car's battery and from it, depending on demand. The Realising Electric Vehicle-to-Grid Services 2 (REVS2) trial will bring together entities from ARENA's first V2G project in 2020, aiming to test the technology's application with a commercial fleet. Kristian Handberg, Jet Charge's future business general manager, emphasized the necessity of moving beyond idealized scenarios to practical implementation.

ARENA will contribute $4.1 million, with Jet Charge adding $1.25 million to the trial. The vehicles involved will primarily serve in-home health services, spending their nights connected to the electricity grid. Handberg explained that the excess power can be retrieved when the vehicles are plugged in, helping to manage peak demand on the electricity system.

The REVS2 trial will operate until 2029, aiming to reveal whether businesses can profit from or save on costs by connecting their electric cars to the grid. This trial is also intended to reassure automakers about Australia's readiness to support V2G-compatible cars and guide investors in the technology. ARENA's transport general manager, Alex Grant, encouraged active participation from all stakeholders to prevent waiting until the trial's conclusion to understand its implications.