Bi-directional charging is a feature of some electric vehicles that lets them send power both ways. The way it works is the vehicle has an onboard charger that can charge and discharge, so it accepts power coming in and send power out.
Why would you want to send power out:
- Vehicle to Load (V2L) – this is where your electric car powers another device, such as a coffee machine, or charges another device, like another electric car.
- Vehicle to Home (V2H) – this is where your electric car powers your house. Most houses use 8kWh per day, so an EV battery is more than powerful enough.
- Vehicle to Grid (V2G) – this is where your electric vehicle sends power back to the grid via a smart V2G charger. You get paid for the energy.
Although bi-directional charging is in its infancy today, cars like the MG ZS EV, Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5 have V2L capabilities.
Bi-directional charging is a form of energy storage that allows electricity to flow both ways. It enables energy to be transferred between an electric vehicle, energy storage system, and the electricity grid.
It allows the electricity grid to store energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, and then use it when needed. It also allows an electric vehicle to charge its battery and then sell the excess electricity back to the grid.
In the future, it is likely all cars will have bi-directional charging.
Free EV charger advice
ecoEV offers free advice and can recommend a charger for your lifestyle. Contact details below:
Happy charging!
