Delivery vans, ambulances, and council fleet vehicles will feed power back into the National Grid while parked, as part of a large-scale trial of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. The project, called e4Future, addresses a fundamental mismatch in the UK electricity system: renewable generation peaks when demand is low, and demand surges when generation drops. Electric vehicle batteries, sitting idle most of the day, could absorb surplus power and release it during shortages. But no one has yet proven this works at scale with real fleets and real consumers. The consortium—spanning carmakers, energy companies, and public-sector operators—will deploy V2G-ready commercial vehicles and test how different user groups respond to financial incentives for sharing their batteries. An aggregator platform will simultaneously sell services to the grid operator and local distribution networks, stacking revenue streams to lower ownership costs. If successful, the project could turn thousands of fleet vehicles into a flexible grid resource, reducing the need for fossil-fuel backup plants and making electric vehicles cheaper to run. The findings will also identify regulatory and cybersecurity barriers, with lessons exported to electricity systems worldwide.
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This proposal is for a large-scale V2G demonstrator, deployed in groups and controlled by an innovative aggregator platform stacking multiple services that supports a more efficient electricity system and decreases ownership costs to vehicle users. The project Consortium is composed by participants from typically disconnected sectors including car companies, infrastructure providers, energy services, and the public sector. The demonstrator includes commercial/delivery and public service vehicles, using V2G-ready models. The project will evaluate the response of distinct consumer groups (which together are highly representative of the target market) to commercial V2G offers. Data collected will be used to test and refine different business cases and reward mechanisms for providing V2G services, generating insights on receptiveness and acceptance of V2G operation. The demonstrator will determine the technical and commercial potential of V2G to support the GB electricity system. The innovative V2G platform will stack multiple services to the System Operator and Distribution Network Operators participating in the project. Distribution, transmission and whole-electricity system models will be used to assess system-wide impacts, benefits and potential revenues from V2G. The project will identify key barriers in the policy and regulatory framework, market barriers and cybersecurity issues, and propose solutions so that V2G can contribute to much needed system flexibility. Learning outcomes will be exportable to electricity systems worldwide. Widespread sharing of project findings, through industry events and publications, will build confidence in and help grow the V2G sector. Learning outcomes will be used by the consortium and the wider UK industry to rapidly deploy V2G business models and encourage significant take-up of ULEVs over the next 5-10 years, optimizing their potential as a resource and improving flexibility and efficiency of the electricity network.
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