A vehicle-to-grid (V2G device)
(Picture: James Pike www.jimpix.com)“It’s the future!” exclaimed my Uber driver as we zipped down the highway to Washington DC airport in his Tesla. This was the start of an animated conversation on the F150 Lightning - Ford’s electric pickup truck that, according to their website, “packs enough punch to make a trip to the grocery store a thrill.” But what’s really impressive is that the truck boasts a new charging feature that could change how Americans power their homes.
This technology is known as ‘vehicle-to-home’, a type of electric vehicle charging whereby energy can be stored in a car and pumped back into a home. This kind of capability could help certain states keep the lights on during extreme weather events such as heat waves, which can cause the grid to struggle with balancing the increased energy demand from air conditioning. Demand was so high in California this year that people were advised to not charge their cars at certain times to help the grid manage. In the UK, we’ve also had warnings from the National Grid about how rolling blackouts could be introduced this winter should supply levels not meet demand - although it’s worth pointing out that this is the worst-case scenario.
