The advent of electric vehicles (EVs) is introducing a fundamentally different paradigm for how and where we consume and produce energy. Widely respected mainstream industry advocates such as Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and energy consultant Ross De Rango are promoting bidirectional charging. This cutting-edge technology makes it so that electric vehicles (EVs) can return energy to households and the grid. This innovation could significantly alter how energy systems operate, potentially benefitting consumers and facilitating a transition away from fossil fuels.
Ross De Rango underlines the potential that bidirectional charging, or vehicle-to-grid charging, also called two-way charging, is a very big deal. This idea lets EV batteries hold large levels of energy, 50kWh – 70kWh. This capacity greatly exceeds the usual 10kWh‐ish of a residential battery. This new ability opens the door for consumers to tap into the potential energy stored in their vehicles. They can help these households power their homes, particularly during peak evening hours.
Air quality advocate Richard Chapman with his three electric vehicles. And he’s well on his way to using solar energy to charge them during the day. He envisions a future where he can draw on energy he’s stored. This will allow him to depend less on the grid during the evenings. Chapman notes, “We get ultra-cheap power from 9am to 3pm because there’s so much excess solar on the grid.”
The Case for Bidirectional Charging
The long-term benefits of bidirectional charging are extensive. It has the potential to be a key solution for managing energy demand and making way for more renewable energy generation. Ultimately though, the goal is to make Australia’s big success on the sustainability front for this technology successful. This move is expected to accelerate the retirement of coal and gas-fired power generators.
Cost tied to bidirectional chargers is a significant hurdle. These devices transform direct current (DC) power from EVs. They use inverters to convert that power into alternating current (AC) electricity, the same form used in homes. The sticker price of several thousand dollars keeps the vast majority of interested consumers on the sidelines.
De Rango argues that without government support, large-scale adoption will never take off. He states, “Government support will make the difference between it being adopted by the early adopters … and it being the case that hundreds of thousands, millions of people can do it in relatively short order.” But without this kind of help, he cautions, the benefits of bidirectional charging will take years to realize.
Encouragement from Officials
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen has publicly backed the proposal, calling on car manufacturers to adopt bidirectional charging technologies. He asserts, “I certainly encourage car manufacturers to get with the program.” With this call to action listeners are starting to understand more about the need to integrate EVs into Australia’s energy landscape.
Bowen’s support fits into a wider strategy to decarbonise the energy sector and encourage more sustainable practices. He is pushing manufacturers to build more vehicles that enable bidirectional charging. First electric vehicles will get more consumers through the door because of their double duty with the home and the car.
As Richard Chapman points out, consumer interest is likely to grow as awareness about the advantages of bidirectional charging increases. “As consumers hear more and more about it, they’ll see the advantages,” he remarks. Chapman thinks future electric car buyers will increasingly seek out EV models that provide reverse charging. They view this feature as an important tool to inform their decision-making.
The Road Ahead
Looking ahead, De Rango imagines a day when millions of EVs are cruising Australian highways. The transition to mass adoption of EVs requires investment, innovation and development in technology and infrastructure. As he explains, “The opportunity is the earlier closure of coal and gas-fired power stations.”
Though there is plenty of reason to be altogether hopeful about these developments, much remains to be done. De Rango explains that Tesla’s pushback against bidirectional charging is being driven by corporate interests, not technical constraints. “It’s not so much a technical impediment; it’s more a question for Tesla from a corporate standpoint,” he explains. After all, he adds, “they are the ones that own the risk of the warranty on these vehicles for a period of time.”
