myenergi has begun development on a new Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) electric vehicle charger, expected to enter the market in 2025.
Vehicle-to-Grid has been described by some as the holy grail of grid management, with it offering benefits to both consumers and the wider grid.
Up until now, most EV cars are a burden on the grid, with energy firms such as Octopus Energy offering incentives to control when they charge to reduce their demand. However, using V2G means that they can actually plug the gaps during periods of high demand and low generation, becoming a vital tool in our road to net zero.
The problem with V2G was the fact it wasn’t widely available – few chargers and even fewer cars on the market today actually offer the technology – and consumers have largely been sceptical of the benefits, worried they wouldn’t have any range left in their car when they needed it the most. That’s beginning to change, with many car manufacturers beginning to support the technology on newer models, while a recent study by Indra highlighted the potential benefits of V2G for both the grid and consumers alike.
One of the key reasons behind the unavailability of chargers, however, was the fact that it has been restricted by the high costs and large sizes of DC bidirectional charging systems. However, myenergi plans to introduce an AC V2G charger that promises greater accessibility and attractiveness in terms of both cost and design.
Lee Sutton, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at myenergi, commented, “Our purpose is to remove the barrier to a greener future and we see the current limitations around V2G technology as one of those barriers. By offering an innovative AC V2G solution for the home, we can bring this great technology to a greater number of customers.”
The forthcoming V2G charger is set to enhance myenergi’s existing product lineup, including the zappi home charger, the eddi power diverter, and the modular libbi smart home battery system. The new charger is designed to complement these technologies by providing a solution that not only charges EVs but also utilises the energy stored in EV batteries to power homes and support the grid.
Jordan Brompton, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at myenergi, added, “Sitting above the zappi in the myenergi product portfolio, our new V2G charger will prove the perfect choice for those who want to power their home using the available energy stored in their EV battery, as well as those who want to support the grid through attractive export tariffs. We know that vehicle manufacturers are pursuing the AC pathway to deliver V2G functionality, so we are confident that our new product will fit seamlessly into their development programmes.”
The launch of myenergi’s new V2G EV charger is anticipated to coincide with the arrival of many mainstream V2G-enabled vehicles in 2025.