The Government is awarding £4.8m in funding to four projects that will enable fleets and drivers to optimise bidirectional charging from electric vehicles.

Electric Green in London will work with QEnergy to trial wireless V2X technology with a fleet of 20 delivery vehicles at Royal Mail

The four projects will develop and implement vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies, which enable electricity stored in a vehicle’s battery to flow back into the grid or back into the home and workplaces, which can then be used to power other devices.

The projects also mean that households and businesses could save money on their bills by selling electricity from their vehicles back to the grid.

Businesses could also benefit from the V2X technologies by storing electricity in their fleets of EVs and using it to power their operations at a later date. These technologies will also help make it even easier to rely on renewable technologies such as solar panels, with less need for fossil fuels to provide for surges in demand by allowing stored renewable energy to be sold into the grid instead.

This builds on existing smart charging technologies, where EVs can be charged when electricity prices are lower overnight.

Minister for Affordability and Skills Amanda Solloway said: “This is exactly the sort of ingenuity and creativity that makes the UK one of the world’s most innovative nations.

“By backing this technology, we could save families hundreds of pounds a year, while also supporting jobs, investment and growth.”

The four projects awarded funding include Hangar19 in Chelmsford, which will demonstrate a three-socket bidirectional charger, making a wider range of EVs available for energy flexibility and bidirectional charging.

3ti Energy Hubs in Leatherhead will combine a quick-to-deploy bidirectional charging hub with a solar canopy and energy storage battery, house in recycled shipping containers, which can make access to bidirectional charging available in more destinations, including vehicle depots

Otaski Energy Solutions in Gateshead will trial its bidirectional EV charger to enable fleet EV operators to access energy in a flexible way which could deliver savings in line with electricity supply and demand surges

Electric Green in London will work with QEnergy to trial wireless V2X technology with a fleet of 20 delivery vehicles at Royal Mail.

The projects have been awarded funding under phase two of the Government’s V2X Innovation Programme. Details are here.