UK government is considering using EVs to help balance the grid

The UK government is mulling over offering incentives to car manufacturers to incorporate vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology into their vehicles as part of its review on the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. V2G technology, pioneered by Nissan in Japan's early 2010s, enables electric vehicles to not only be charged but also feed energy back into the grid.

This could potentially help balance the grid during peak demand periods, such as when wind and solar generation falls below electricity demand. The Guardian reports that the government is considering granting extra Zero Emission Vehicle credits to manufacturers that successfully increase the prevalence of V2G technology. However, critics argue that this could lead to the production of more polluting petrol and diesel cars.

While V2G technology isn't new and has been discussed for over a decade, its adoption on a larger scale in the UK could potentially provide enough energy to power a power station by 2030. Nonetheless, the complexity of energy tariffs and the need for drivers to understand dynamic pricing and various apps could hinder the widespread adoption of this technology.