Climate Wire | A new California bill would turn electric vehicles into backup power for the state’s troubled power grid.
But while the idea is promising, experts say there are still some technical hurdles to overcome. It also warns that mandates like those set out in California’s bill could drive up the cost of electric vehicles.
A proposal put forward by Democratic Senator Nancy Skinner would require all new electric vehicles sold in California in 2027 to be capable of storing and transmitting electricity. Her bill passed a Senate committee this week after passing another committee last week. Dozens of environmental, health and community groups support it, but industry groups from the largest automakers oppose it.
The intention of the proposal is to provide power to California on days when supplies are tight, Skinner said at a recent state Senate committee hearing.And EVs could make a big difference. Yes, she added.
The state hopes to have 8 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030, stating, “If less than 10% of these EVs are used in this way, the San Luis Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant We will have more gigawatts of capacity than anywhere else.” Obispo County, California, Skinner said. “So there’s a lot of potential here.”
California is already moving towards electrification of the car.
California announced last week that more than 1.5 million electric vehicles had been sold in the state through March (climate wire, April 21), and revealed that more than one-fifth of new car purchases were a zero-emissions option. About 40% of all EVs sold in the US are now in the Golden State.
But experts say much more work needs to be done before EVs can power grids around the world.
One of the obstacles is that EVs output DC, but the power going into the grid needs to be AC. Conversion must be done in the vehicle or with a wall plug.
According to Gil Tal, director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California, Davis, requiring all EVs to be capable of bi-directional charging (as mandated by the California bill) would cost them several dollars. $100 more expensive. One option, he said, is to use a device known as a vehicle-to-grid compatible charger. But that’s thousands of dollars, Tull said.
Additionally, automakers use a variety of charger technologies, so there’s no universal wall converter option, Tal said. Also, there are currently no regulatory incentives for a motorist to put his EV power back on the grid.
Safety issues are also a concern, says Andrew Mainz, chief engineer for electric vehicle charging and grids at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Grid-connected inverters must be certified by Underwriters Laboratories. It “needs testing to make sure it doesn’t catch fire. It doesn’t shock you,” he said. He said he can’t do the test until it’s done.
Commercial fleets may be in the best position to power the grid because they have more usage and charging schedules than individual drivers, he said. Research is also underway into electric buses sending power to the grid, which is also a likely option, he said.
Several automakers move forward
However, some EVs are ready for bi-directional charging, such as the Nissan Leaf and Ford F-150 Lightning Truck.
Nissan announced last September that the Fermata Energy two-way charger will work on the 2013 and newer Nissan Leaf models. Nissan did not disclose how much power the Leaf can send back to the grid.
EV Ford trucks are now intended to provide backup power to homes, not the grid.
According to the company, Ford’s F-150 Lightning trucks can power homes for up to three days during a power outage, or up to 10 days with power distribution. However, there is currently no way to use trucks to power the grid.
Tesla, meanwhile, plans to make all its cars bi-directional “within the next model year,” Skinner said earlier this month at a state Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee hearing. rice field.
Tesla did not respond to requests for information about its plans.
But Tesla cars may be ready because they operate in a closed system that manufactures both electric vehicles and chargers, Tull said.
Some EV proponents oppose mandates such as legislation.
“Deploying in 2027 means we have to start engineering now. said Orville Thomas, state policy director for the for-profit CalStart.
The state has new regulations promoting electric vehicles, banning the sale of new gas-fueled vehicles after 2035. It also requires specific battery standards, said Thomas. How does bi-directional charging work with these rules, he said.
“Does that mean the battery needs to be replaced for the second user?” he said. “Isn’t the battery draining less and its duty cycle compromised, resulting in a lower state of charge?”
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the largest trade group of automakers, said in a letter to Skinner that the mandate would increase the cost of each vehicle by more than $3,000. It also raises questions about the state’s grid readiness to support bi-directional charging.
“The many unknowns about how to implement such a complex and nascent technology make it too difficult to establish a mission at this time,” the letter said.
Bi-directional charging
Several utilities are working on pilots studying both bi-directional charging and incentives for EV owners to charge their vehicles at the most appropriate time for the grid.
Ford is conducting pilots with Pacific Gas and Electric in the San Francisco area and public works districts in Sacramento. Ford is using his PG&E to test how vehicle-to-home systems can help customers during grid outages.
In addition, a Ford spokesperson said in an email that it is testing vehicle-to-grid capabilities via the F-150 Lightning and that it is “exploring ways to use customers’ car batteries to send power back to the grid. A driver who earns money by selling electricity to the power company during times of high power usage in the community.”
Ford said it is working with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District to explore ways to support off-peak charging.
BMW has been conducting several pilots with PG&E since 2015, looking at off-peak charging incentives and a “V2G study.” [vehicle-to-grid] Possibility,” BMW spokeswoman Katrina St. Jean said in an email.
“The BMW Group believes that vehicles can play a greater role in supporting the grid as new vehicle technologies are developed.
Reprinted from E&E News with permission of POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2023. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environmental professionals.
