Porsche has a vision for its growing fleet of production EVs and it will help out anyone who uses electricity. In a test conducted with grid operator TransnetBW and consulting firm Intelligent Energy System Services (IE2S), Porsche tested five series production Taycan’s as power grid balancing solutions. The idea is to utilize the growing market share of electric vehicles as a power grid balancer during times of extreme power use.
In a future that could be dominated by electric vehicles power grid stability will be more important than ever and Porsche is putting resources into a novel solution. Porsche sees EVs as the perfect solution to help balance the power grid during cases of extreme use. Porsche’s idea would utilize EVs they aren’t being driven as backfill to power grid fluctuations that are currently managed by powerplants. The Porsche Taycan uses an 800volt architecture which helps its transfer energy quickly.
Porsche states, “If power grids are not stabilized at a constant 50 Hertz power frequency, there is a risk of power cuts. Until now, conventional power plants in particular have been responsible for cushioning these fluctuations. Using high-voltage batteries as a buffer would be a win-win situation: drivers of electric cars could be financially compensated for their contribution to balancing power.”
The test was completed by five series-production Porsche Taycans that were connected to the power grid via the Porsche Home Energy Manager (HEM). This test was managed by TransnetBW and consulting firm Intelligent Energy System Services (IE2S) to ensure accuracy and safety. The test relies on a unique cloud-based pooling system developed by IE2S that controls the charging process based on the needs of the power grid and can feedback power as needed.
Porsche’s initial test is the first step to building a symbiotic relationship between electric vehicles and the power grid that charges them. As both renewable energy and EV reliance continue to grow power-sharing will become more critical, which is why this test is so important for our automotive future.
