TM - Toyota Expands Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Research with San Diego Gas & Electric Company Collaboration | Benzinga
- Research to focus on the customer experience, business model and technology aspects of V2G using the Toyota bZ4X to explore how EVs support both customers and the grid
- SDG&E research collaboration location to feature bidirectional charger onsite
- SDG&E's service territory represents one of the largest Toyota BEV and PHEV ownership markets
PLANO, Texas and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), a Southern California-based public utility that serves 3.7 million people, announced today that they have agreed to collaborate on vehicle-to-grid (V2G) research for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) using a Toyota bZ4X. The V2G research will explore bidirectional power flow technology that enables BEV owners to both charge their vehicle's batteries from the electric grid and discharge electricity from the batteries back to the grid. V2G technology has the potential to support customer needs through improved energy reliability and resilience, the integration of renewables, and the possibility of reduced electricity costs.
Understanding the needs of BEV owners, their charging habits, and when they use their vehicles will be crucial in driving widespread adoption of V2G. Nearly 80 percent of owners currently charge their BEVs at home overnight, when grid demand is lower. With bidirectional capability, these vehicles could send power back to the grid during peak demand hours or at other critical times, such as during rotating outages due to shortage in electricity supplies. The collaboration between SDG&E and Toyota's Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions (EVCS) team aims to find ...