Power banks on wheels

100% electric vehicles are not limited to receiving energy to move. They are also a type of power bank for all types of use, thanks to bidirectional charging.

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In addition to bringing a new era to mobility, as they are zero local emissions vehicles, 100% electric vehicles have also revolutionized the way cars are seen. All because from a mere and exclusive consumer of energy (as models with combustion engines typically are), we moved to a paradigm in which the electric car is a receiver, but also a supplier of energy. In this ecosystem, the electric car consumes electricity to move but recovers it and can feed it to the electrical grid. This bidirectionality takes different forms.

V2H and V2B

The electric vehicle can be used as a power bank to supply energy to a house (V2H: Vehicle-to-Home) or building (V2B: Vehicle-to-Building) in a situation of emergency (power cut or blackout), for example.

V2G

V2G (Vehicle-to-grid) is also the concept of bidirectional energy use, involving channeling the car's unused energy (or if preferred, stored and not needed) to the electrical grid, in an intelligent way.

The idea behind V2G is to use car batteries as a storage unit. The saved energy will then be supplied to the electrical grid, with two objectives: saving money and ensuring greater stability of the electrical grid.

A practical example of saving money: if the vehicle owner has charged the vehicle with energy from renewable sources or based on a cheaper tariff (at night, for example), he or she will be able to inject the energy that is stored in the battery into the grid at a time of day when that the tariff is more expensive; You will soon make money, as you bought energy at a lower price than what you are selling it for.

Regarding the stability of the electrical grid: by being able to establish this bidirectional energy flow, electric vehicles help to avoid energy peaks, creating a greater balance between demand and supply of electricity, and removing the consumption burden from installations. In other words, when large amounts of energy are being demanded from power stations, electric vehicles can supply electricity back to the grid for use by local energy distribution services, thereby strengthening supply and balancing increased demand.

Also, let’s suppose the energy the car batteries were charged is from a renewable source. In that case, it is still possible to feed the grid with “green energy” during periods when solar or wind energy is not being generated (at night or when there is no wind), contributing to decarbonization.

V2L

V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) means that the electric car battery can power devices and electrical equipment connected to the current using a DC-AC inverter and AC power outlets. The electric once again plays the role of a charger for other electrical devices.

V2F

V2F (Vehicle-to-Farm) encompasses the types of V2H and V2L applications in an agricultural environment.

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In short, electric vehicles have not only transformed sustainable mobility, they have also redefined the role of cars in energy management, consolidating themselves as essential in the transition to a more efficient and ecological energy future.