The funding has been allocated to charging infrastructure company JET Charge, which will lead the Realizing Electric Vehicle-to-Grid Services 2 (REVS2) project. This will see the fleet of vehicles combined with bi-directional chargers, allowing them to return power to the grid when needed. JET Charge will update its charging management system to coordinate charging and discharging in response to electricity rates, vehicle availability and network requirements.
Meanwhile, energy company ActewAGL will provide a virtual power plant tariff structure, while the Australian National University will study the commercial benefits and share its findings with the wider fleet sector. The project is scheduled to run until June 2029.
This new initiative builds on an initial REVS trial that was funded by ARENA in 2020 and demonstrated that electric vehicles could provide grid services. The new project shifts the focus to commercial viability, testing how fleet operators can be incentivized to supply electricity and whether the resulting revenue can improve the total cost of ownership of electric vehicles.
Darren Miller, CEO of ARENA, called the project an important step towards widespread adoption of V2G: “This project builds on the success of Australia’s first vehicle-to-grid trial by addressing a key missing piece for bi-directional charging in Australia: how large fleets can be incentivized to support the network while meeting their daily transport needs. It will provide real-world evidence of how fleets can be rewarded for using their electric vehicles to support the network, helping to make the switch to electric vehicles more attractive. for fleet operators.
“We know vehicle-to-grid technology works; we helped demonstrate it in the original REVS project,” said JET Charge CEO Tim Washington. Now we have to prove that it makes business sense. “If we can help fleets reduce their operating costs by providing network support, that is a business case any CEO can get behind.”
The new funding is part of broader efforts by the Australian government to make electricity grids more flexible as renewable energy generation grows. In July, we reported an allocation of A$30 million to 14 projects under the government’s Grid Enhancing Technologies program, including V2G and smart electric vehicle charging.
arena.gov.au
