The possibility of using excess energy from an electric vehicle to power a house is a dream. The subject has already been discussed in this column, but now this perspective is coming to life on the Swedish side. In this country, we are currently carrying out a pilot project in a neighborhood where we offered residents an electric vehicle and a charging infrastructure, just to test everything.
With this pilot project, we are offering all these people a bi-directional charging source that allows them to use the energy stored in their vehicle’s battery to power their home, in addition to their usual energy system. They will then have everything they need to power their homes and devices during peak hours, or in the event of a power outage.
uan energetic association
With electrification being in vogue these days in an attempt to eliminate fossil fuels as much as possible, bidirectional charging presents itself as a promising avenue.
However, in this regard, Volkswagen is taking the lead by offering bidirectional charging with the “Vehicle to home” function, which allows you to redirect the energy from your electric car to your home.
To do this, the car manufacturer is teaming up with another German firm, HagerEnergy GmbH, which specializes in electronic equipment and which offers a domestic power station.
You should know that all new Volkswagen electric models are now equipped with the bidirectional charging function, which operates with a 77 kWh battery and software version 3.5 (or higher).
According to the German automaker, considering an average energy consumption of 30 kWh per day for a home, this battery would be able to provide backup power in the event of a power outage for two full days.
Depending on the circumstances, the vehicle battery can be used as the main source of energy for the home or as a backup source, if necessary.
Furthermore, the process means that once the home’s storage system is sufficiently charged, the vehicle then automatically goes into standby mode. And since we think of everything, we assure the user that their vehicle’s battery will never be discharged below 20% when it is plugged in so that the car is always ready to be used.
For other users, the use of this form of energy can also be done in addition to solar energy. With this battery, a home equipped with solar panels could therefore be supplied with electricity also in the evening, and on cloudy days. It would also be possible for customers to use electricity stored in their vehicle’s battery and decide when to draw energy from the grid.
At Volkswagen, we assure that it will be possible to activate the home vehicle function for all vehicles that have already been delivered, with a software update that can be installed directly.
By using HagerEnergy’s domestic energy storage system, the German manufacturer prides itself on optimizing energy efficiency and actively contributing to the energy transition. And as we know that it is important to act now, this technology is not without its displeasure.
Are we seeing a ripple effect among manufacturers?
Let’s say that the movement is well and truly underway. This bidirectional charging technology has already been developed by other automobile manufacturers, notably Ford and General Motors (GM), which also make it possible to take advantage of the immense power reserves of electric car batteries when the vehicle is at the stop.
Last summer, GM announced that it planned to offer bidirectional charging capacity to its Ultium-based electric vehicles from 2026. Here we provide activation equipment supplied with a power inverter, a domestic concentrator and a starter battery, all offering a discharge power of 9.6 kW as required.
At Ford, the F-150 Lightning also benefits from bi-directional charging equipment. In this case, the customer must first purchase a Ford Charge Station Pro 80 amp home charger. It can then connect to the car manufacturer’s home integration system, enabling the desired bi-directional charging. According to Ford, when so equipped, the F-150 Lightning can provide electricity to a home for three days.
That said, we are only in the early stages of this technology. To date, only the S10 E Compact home power station from HagerEnergy GmbH allows the vehicle charging system to be used at home. Looking ahead, however, it is anticipated that customers will have the option of using a compact two-way charging wall box.
An electric car to drive and to power your home becomes doubly attractive.