Holland’s city of Utrecht becomes the first European major metropolitan area to offer a large-scale vehicle-to-grid (V2G) car-sharing service in cooperation with Renault.
The automaker provides the vehicles for the project that sees it team up with Dutch car-share specialist My Wheels, vehicle-charging provider We Drive Solar and the Municipality of Utrecht to provide the continent’s first city-wide service.
Dubbed ”Utrecht energized,” the project claims a more sustainable, efficient energy system in a city where 35 % of rooftops are fitted with solar panels.
V2G technology claims to enable battery-electric vehicles to channel surplus battery energy back into the electricity grid during peak periods, providing renewable energy around the clock.
Fifty Renault 5 E‑Tech electric vehicles are now deployed for public use through the My Wheels service using V2G bidirectional charging technology developed by Renault’s Mobilize Energy business unit.
It is the first time this technology has been made available for public charging infrastructure, provided by We Drive Solar.
Renault says a total of 500 bidirectional cars can deliver 10% of the flexibility required in Utrecht to balance solar‑ and wind‑generated electricity at peak times and commits to building up its fleet of BEVs in the years to come.
Currently, its BEV products able to provide V2G technology include the Renault R5 E-Tech, Renault 4 E‑Tech, Alpine A290, Renault Megane E‑Tech and Renault Scenic E‑Tech.
“To unlock the full potential of V2G, we need to break down existing barriers – from adapting fiscal rules and grid fees to promoting interoperability and simplifying certification processes. With the right alignment, V2G can become a cornerstone of tomorrow’s grid,” says Jérôme Faton, Mobilize Energy director.
