Electric cars as new energy storage devices: This is how the energy transition becomes reality!

Electric cars as new energy storage devices: This is how the energy transition becomes reality!

Electric cars are becoming increasingly important in the discussion about the energy transition in Austria. An initiative by the government parliamentary groups has submitted a motion that calls on the federal government to create the framework for bidirectional charging methods such as “Vehicle to Home” (V2H) and “Vehicle to Grid” (V2G). These technologies could enable vehicles not only to store electricity, but also to feed it back into the home or public power grid, which can make a decisive contribution to stabilizing the energy supply. Loud Econews The 250,000 electric cars in Austria could already buffer around eight gigawatt hours of energy.

The current study by the Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ) shows that cars are only used for an hour a day on average. For the remaining 23 hours, electric cars could serve as flexible energy storage devices to store excess renewable energy and reduce load peaks in the power grid. This development also relies on the potential of the bi-directional charging options already available for vehicle batteries.

Bidirectional charging as a key technology

Bidirectional charging allows electric cars to not only charge their batteries, but also deliver electricity back to the grid. This technology offers decentralized storage potential and is particularly characterized by the V2H and V2G options. While V2H enables the use of vehicle batteries as storage for self-generated solar power, V2G allows excess energy to be fed back into the public grid. The Electric car news report that the federal government plans to introduce bidirectional charging across the board, with a ramp-up of V2G applications from 2028 and the first V2H applications from 2025.

Also interesting is a YouGov study that shows that 81% of e-car drivers in Germany are interested in using V2H, while 75% are interested in V2G. This seems to indicate a broad societal desire for sustainable solutions and independence from the traditional energy market. This could not only improve the ecological balance, but also reduce costs for consumers. The Federal Association of the New Energy Industry (BNE) has also submitted seven proposals to promote these technologies, which include regulatory and technical decisions.

The potential of electric vehicles

The use of electric cars as mobile, flexible electricity storage could increase the share of renewable energy in the grid and contribute to the stability of the electricity system. The Fraunhofer Blog points out that the storage capacity of all electric vehicles in Germany is already significantly higher than that of stationary storage. According to estimates, more than 15 million electric vehicles in Germany could offer a storage capacity of 1,000 GWh by 2030.

However, the challenges lie in the practical implementation: the regulations on taxes and network fees must be adjusted in order to increase the economic attractiveness of V2G models. Current cost parameters, such as network fees of around 13 cents per kilowatt hour, undermine economic models for bidirectional charging. The digitalization of the energy system is therefore essential in order to quickly establish the necessary infrastructure.

Technological progress and increased interest in bi-directional charging solutions suggest that the future of electric vehicles could also lie in their role as energy suppliers. Coordination between car manufacturers, energy suppliers and grid operators will be crucial to unlocking the full potential of electric cars for the energy transition.