The electricity firm E.ON and carmaker Nissan are looking for partners to expand a project demonstrating how electric vehicles could be used to support the UK power grid.

Their installation at Nissan’s European Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire is the first in a large-scale V2G trial co-funded by Innovate UK. The project will test and demonstrate how storing and sharing electricity in fleet vehicles’ batteries can generate additional revenue for participating companies as well as supporting the power grid.

Having validated the technology at Nissan’s Cranfield site, they’re now recruiting further participants for the trial and plans to deploy V2G chargers for organisations across the UK.

V2G technology allows electricity to flow in both directions to and from electric vehicle batteries, allowing energy stored in the battery to be sold back to the grid when demand for power is high. Vehicles can then charge when demand is lower or renewable generation is high, reducing reliance on fossil-fuelled generation, giving V2G a role in carbon reduction efforts.

The technology can also release capacity on the electricity networks which distribute power around the country. In collaboration with UK Power Networks, the trial will go on to explore opportunities for customers to earn revenues from this as a service.

Luke Ellis, V2G Programme Manager with E.ON UK, said the project is about, “commercialising a vehicle’s bi-directional charging capabilities, with clear advantages for businesses either already with a fleet of electric vehicles or those that are ready to make the transition to electric.”