Nissan’s Leaf, an early popular all-electric vehicle, can officially use the bidirectional charging capabilities that have long been built into its circuitry. The automaker has partnered with Fermata Energy to release an official charger — the FE-15 — capable of tapping into the Leaf’s bidirectional charging, sending stored energy back into a home or grid system.
Bidirectional charging, also known as a “Vehicle-to-Home” or “Vehicle-to-Grid” system (though Fermata prefers “Vehicle-to-Everything”), is quickly becoming the buzziest technical feature in the EV industry. The much-hyped F-150 Lightning includes the feature, for example, and General Motors has gone a step further by partnering with PG&E in California to test bidirectional charging as a standard home power backup feature.