Cities to pilot mass rollout of vehicle-to-grid projects
Regulators are moving to address the mounting stress new energy vehicles (NEVs) are placing on power grids.
On Tuesday, the macro planner (NDRC) and three other agencies issued a notice to advance the national rollout of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot projects.
Some context: China’s nearly 27 million-strong NEV fleet is expanding at a remarkable rate – having grown almost sevenfold since June 2020.
- Left unregulated, growing NEV charging demand risks pushing local grids to their limits in coming years – especially during evening peak-demand hours.
More context: V2G technologies allow grid operators to turn NEVs into miniature energy storage plants – draining electricity from NEV batteries to deliver power back to the grid during shortages, and storing surplus energy generated by China’s massive renewables fleet.
The notice calls for:
- At least five cities to pilot the large-scale, city-wide rollout of V2G projects
- Pilot cities to deploy V2G to ensure over 60% of NEV charging takes place during low-demand hours
Get smart: V2G pilots have proliferated nationwide since 2022, but murky business models, unfinished power market reforms, and technological bottlenecks around V2G and NEV batteries are holding the technology back from becoming an effective tool for alleviating grid stress.
- These upcoming pilots will provide officials with critical insights into if and when V2G can progress toward mass adoption.