Kaluza and OVO Energy have announced a world-first ‘Vehicle-to-Everything’ (V2X) trial, INFLEXION, which will enable drivers to power their entire homes with their electric vehicle (EV). V2X not only allows EV drivers to power their home with their car, but also use their EV as a backup power source, as well as being able to sell any surplus energy back to the grid - which can significantly reduce energy bills.
The announcement follows OVO’s domestic ‘Vehicle-to-Grid’ (V2G) trial, the largest of its kind in the world, which enabled drivers to earn around £420 a year by selling their EV’s energy back to the grid, with some earning up to £800.
The long-term ambition for INFLEXION is to enable millions more drivers to use this type of charging in the future, regardless of which EV they own. Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart said: “We want to make smart charging an easier choice for drivers of electric vehicles, whether that is charging on the driveway, at the workplace, or parked on the street. To do that we need to build new network infrastructure at pace, using the latest available technologies.
“Today’s plan sets out how we will work with Ofgem and industry to kickstart the market for smart charging, which we are backing it up with £16m in innovation funding. This will let people take control of their energy usage, in the most convenient and low-cost way.”
Alex Thwaites, Head of Zero Carbon Living at OVO Energy, said:“OVO has been leading the way in supporting customers to transition to electric vehicles and bring them on the journey to zero carbon living through exciting new products and offerings. This is not just about driving renewable energy solutions forward, it’s about demonstrating how customers can actually reduce their energy bills by making the switch to an EV. With OVO's V2G tariff trial we saw some EV drivers save up to £800 a year on their bills.”
Scott Neuman, CEO at Kaluza said: “V2X will have a transformative effect on decarbonising our energy system but only if we make it accessible and affordable for all. INFLEXION is a critical step to bring the energy and automotive industries together, and prove the power of smart technology to save both cost savings and carbon emissions for drivers. Kaluza is ideally positioned to lead this work with our advanced software and market-leading partners.”
OVO and Kaluza will look to roll out the trial to OVO customers later in 2023. OVO customers can register their interest by visiting: https://www.ovoenergy.com/electric-cars/vehicle-to-grid-charger
