EV as a resilience solution

Overview of the status and impact of the innovation

Innovation 2

What

The flexibility that large numbers of EVs can provide offers grid-resilience strategies that may reduce the duration and severity of shortages or blackouts. EV batteries can also become an important backup power option, especially in Europe, where gas peakers are no longer considered reliable flexibility sources owing to supply constraints. EV batteries can store and feed energy to the grid or to homes and other buildings. With a millisecond reaction time, EV batteries are the quickest flexibility option. They are also the cheapest, since their capital costs have already been paid by vehicle owners, and their marginal cost is minimal compared with other flexibility sources, including new stationary storage, pump storage and gas peakers.

Why

Resilience strategies using EVs can support the grid in cases of brownouts (whether ordered or stemming from a sudden drop in voltage), unintentional blackouts (total loss of power to an area), scheduled blackouts or public safety power shutoffs (e.g. during severe weather). These strategies are made possible by the availability of V2G cars and chargers.

BOX 3.23 Example of initiatives using EVs as resilience solutions

V2G-capable electric school buses deployed by Nuvve Corporation have large batteries and are parked and idle most of the day. Nuvve is testing their ability to provide emergency backup power and increase grid resilience (Nuvve, 2020).

Similarly, the fully electric 2022 Ford Lightning can power an average home for about three days through its charging cord. Such vehicles could have made a real difference during the February 2021 Texas blackout, when winter storms left millions of people without power (Busby et al., 2021; MotorTrend, 2021). Similarly, the fully electric 2022 Ford Lightning can power an average home for about three days through its charging cord. Such vehicles could have made a real difference during the February 2021 Texas blackout, when winter storms left millions of people without power (Busby et al., 2021; MotorTrend, 2021).

Under Nissan’s Blue Switch initiative (2018 to present), EVs are driven to disaster-affected areas and used for emergency backup power. During the critical first hours and days, they can deliver power where it is needed the most. The initiative is an interesting model of co-operation between local authorities and industry stakeholders (Nissan Motor Corporation, 2020).

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