EV expansion depends on bidirectional charging capability, says report

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California-based electric vehicle charging technology developer Nuvve Holding Corp. said vehicle-to-grid connectivity could play an important role in supporting U.S. grid stability in 2025 and beyond. A white paper released by the company pointed out that the adoption of EV school buses promises to be a key driver of the bidirectional charging infrastructure market.

The report asserts that EV adoption is hampered more broadly by a lack of charging infrastructure, particularly in low-income areas and along inter-city routes. Nuvve calls for more charging stations in high-traffic locations, such as convenience stores, shopping malls and hotels.

In addition, the white paper said, “for commercial heavy-duty electric vehicles, the energy needs are even higher, and high-power charging is needed at depots, warehouses, logistics centers, ports, and alongside the [main] truck transit routes.”

One of the main points of the white paper is that EV reliance on an electric grid that increasingly depends on variable renewable energy is leading to a “tipping point.” High retail prices for electricity, increasing demand from all loads (e.g., electrification, manufacturing, EVs) and delays in solar interconnection are combining to create a crisis situation, according to the Nuvve white paper:

“For instance, more than 8 million EVs are forecasted to be on the road in California by 2030. If those 8 million EVs were to connect and charge all at once at 10kW, that’s 80GW, which is 53% more than the largest peak ever in the state.”

The report suggests that grid stability could be reinforced by EV charging technology that enables the batteries in the vehicles themselves to serve as a source of electricity during times of peak demand or in emergencies and to be recharged during times of peak output.

The electric school bus market provides an excellent opportunity to put this concept into action, the report said. U.S. government funding supporting EV school buses, such as those provided for in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, could result in fleets of vehicles that offer billions of dollars of stored energy value annually.

School bus operator First Student is deploying 110 new EV buses for the current school year. The company told pv magazine USA that school buses are excellent candidates for electrification because of the ranges and predictability of their regular operational routes. In addition, school bus fleets with bidirectional chargers provide a ready source of power for utilities when school is not in session.

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