Almost half of UK drivers would be willing to purchase an electric vehicle if they could use it to power their homes, according to a survey conducted by Indra.
The energy crisis means it’s now more expensive than ever to power the average home, and while technologies such as solar panels paired with energy storage could help lower energy bills, they have a large financial commitment. While electric vehicles are also by no means cheap, they could potentially be used as a multifunctional device – one that could power the house when not in use, and then be available to drive.
It’s unsurprising to see drivers interested in Vehicle to X technology, given the price of an electric vehicle is significantly less per kWh of battery size compared to static energy storage. For example, the Tesla Powerwall, which is one of the cheapest energy storage options when considering the price per kWh, costs around £14,000 for a 13.5 kWh battery. That works out a smidge over £1,037 per kWh and that’s excluding installation. Meanwhile, as of writing, you can currently pick up a Tesla Model 3 for £38,970, and thanks to its 60 kWh battery that works out at just £646 per kWh, almost half the price.
While the Tesla Model 3 is considered a premium car, there are more affordable options out there that could potentially bring the price down even further. That could make V2H technology a very interesting selling point – sadly few cars support it.
Mike Schooling, Founder and Chief Product Officer at Indra, noted, “It is already significantly cheaper to run an EV compared to a petrol or diesel vehicle, and this will only improve as we move towards widespread adoption of bidirectional or V2X charging.
“Bidirectional charging technology takes savings on transport costs to whole new level, enabling EV drivers to not only capitalise on cheaper energy tariffs and lower-carbon energy, but also discharge surplus energy from their vehicles to either power their homes or even trade it back to the grid at peak energy times, when prices are typically at their highest.”
While drivers are said to be keen on electric vehicles for the potential of V2X charging, 47% of survey respondents noted that the environmental impact of driving a petrol or diesel vehicle was driving their interest in EVs. Despite this, the cost of purchasing and running an EV is still perceived as a barrier to adoption, with just 30% of respondents saying they were likely to buy an electric car within the next year.
While 50% cited the price of EVs as the biggest obstacle to ownership, fewer than a third were concerned with the lack of public charging points. The survey also showed that more than half of UK drivers overestimate the cost of charging an EV, with some believing it could amount to £150 to £200 for a single charge. That’s why survey respondents overwhelmingly believed that petrol cars were the most cost-effective mode of transport (37%), followed by public transport (18%), diesels (18%), and finally EVs (16%).
