Good news for the grid
How vehicle-to-grid technology can make electric vehicle fleets run more smoothly. By Sam Levy, regional sales director, UK and Ireland, Easee
The future of mobility for retail and fleet sectors alike is electric – and the shift from ICE is well underway. But while private customers can quickly and easily have a home wallbox charger installed, for many fleet managers it can feel like a big headache with no clear solution. It’s a problem that is compounded by the fact that fleet and business sales are driving the UK’s electric vehicle market.
The practical challenges are real. Energy is costly – the UK’s electricity is the fourth-most expensive in Europe – and dozens of chargers might be needed in every fleet depot. But behind these factors is a greater and more fundamental issue: the energy sector itself – on which we all depend – simply was not designed for a world in which EVs were anything more than niche applications.
As the shift to electrification accelerates, therefore, the strain on electricity grids grows. Renewable energy generation, with all its fluctuations during periods of little wind and cloudy skies – called ‘Dunkelflaute’ in Germany – can cause electricity prices to soar and reduce the margin between supply and demand. This trend could become more acute as renewables take a greater share of the mix while fossil fuels are phased out and before any planned new nuclear plants are commissioned.
In 2024, EVs accounted for only 19.6% and 5.8% respectively of all new cars and vans registered in the UK. But, as we move closer to 2030’s combustion engine ban, the issues we’re starting to see will become far more problematic if action isn’t taken now. But what if, instead of being part of the problem, fleets could become part of the solution? Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is beginning to turn that idea into a reality. By allowing bidirectional charging – by which EVs not only draw energy from the grid but can also return it – V2G enables vehicles to act as distributed energy resources.
This scenario opens up a powerful new value stream for fleet operators. Vehicles sitting idle at depots or office car parks shouldn’t be regarded as wasted capacity; instead they can become intelligent, flexible, energy storage assets. A fleet of EVs can help balance local grid demand by absorbing excess renewable generation – a challenge that the energy sector is still struggling to resolve – and even provide back-up power during outages.
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No one player working alone can unlock V2G’s full potential. Instead, it will take deep collaboration between all stakeholders
The big switch on
V2G is a core enabler of the next phase of e-mobility now that EVs are switching from niche to mainstream. The hardware is just one element; a full-scale electrification platform that connects EVs, chargers, energy providers and the grid in a smarter and more sustainable way is also needed to extract the maximum benefit from such technology. We’re already piloting real-world V2G use cases: in 2023, Easee launched a groundbreaking project with Polestar to explore how EVs can support the grid, using our chargers and cloud-based software.
Early findings show great potential, especially for fleets with predictable schedules and high rates of vehicle utilisation. Imagine a fleet of 200 EVs earning revenue by returning power to the grid during peak hours; or depot charging that reduces operational costs by shifting automatically to cheaper off-peak tariffs; or benefiting from more consistent charging speeds because other fleets are balancing the grid when your vehicles are plugged in, which in turn results in cheaper peak power because the supply is more stable. Consider, too, a future housing development where company cars, privately owned EVs and solar panels form an integrated microgrid, smoothing energy supply across the whole community. Platforms that support scenarios such as these will be crucial to the technology’s success moving forward.
No one player working alone can unlock V2G’s full potential. Instead, it will take deep collaboration between all stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers, utility companies, fleet operators, technology companies and government. Electrification is about more than replacing petrol and diesel engines with batteries and motors; it requires a fundamental rethinking of how we use energy most efficiently, and how we can keep the world moving in the most sustainable way. V2G has a big part to play, and fleets can play a role in maximising the technology’s full potential.
We’re working hard to make this a reality but, in parallel to intensive R&D activities, industry players need to be just as focused on what fleet operators need and want in the field right now. Easy scalability is a prime example – enabling multiple units to run efficiently on the same circuit. This is ideal for depot locations where large-scale deployment needs to be fast, cost-effective and future-ready. Reliability is just as important; this dramatically reduces downtime and service callouts, saving fleet operators valuable time and operating costs. Accurate billing and reimbursement are also crucial. If power meters are even slightly out, costs can spiral – especially at scale. That’s why platforms need to ensure precise metering, enabling dependable cost tracking and straightforward repayment for employees charging at home or on the go.
We can’t control the weather, nor can we influence how quickly grid upgrades can be delivered, but smart charging technology can make it easier for fleet operators to go electric. Implementing V2G capability in the near future will make switching from combustion engines to e-mobility even more beneficial, and represents an important milestone on the road to net zero.
