Europe’s first large-scale car-sharing service using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is launching in the Netherlands under a new deal penned by Renault Group.

Renault Group will supply 500 Renault 5 E-Tech electric equipped with Mobilize’s V2G technology

The French car manufacturer is teaming up with We Drive Solar, MyWheels and the city of Utrecht to deploy a fleet of 500 Renault 5 E-Tech electric hatches.

The vehicles will be available through a car-sharing service operated by MyWheels and will use V2G bi-directional charging technology developed by Mobilize, Renault Group’s sustainable mobility arm.

Users will be able to charge their vehicles with clean energy and feed power back into the grid during high demand, reducing overall electricity costs while helping to stabilise the grid and further integrate renewable energy sources.

Benefits of the scheme will be two-fold; the vehicles will be able to balance the city’s electric grid through bi-directional charging technology while also enabling electric shared mobility on a large scale. We Drive Solar will provide and operate bidirectional charging stations, helping to contribute to a more resilient and sustainable energy system on a large scale.

Utrecht is already a leader in using renewable energy, with around 35% of all rooftops covered with solar panels. According to Renault, 500 bidirectional cars could provide 10% of the needed flexibility in the Utrecht region to balance solar and wind energy for usage during peak hours.

Future plans could see the fleet expanded with the Megane E-Tech, Scenic E-Tech and upcoming Renault 4 E-Tech.

A spokesperson from Renault Group said: “This collaboration is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships in driving the transition to more sustainable and efficient urban mobility solutions.”