Grid Down? Scientists Say Your EV Could Provide the Needed Backup Power

If we’re planning to expand electric vehicle (EV) usage, we may as well maximize their energy potential. That’s the intent behind the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) model—a proposal that taps into idle EVs at charging stations as a backup source for power grids. A recent Utilities Policy paper outlines why, despite sounding like an ideal solution, V2G hasn’t been widely implemented. The study presents potential roadmaps for adopting V2G based on stakeholder interviews and market analyses. Of course, the EV industry has suffered major turmoil under the current administration, so it’s unlikely that the paper’s suggestions will reach D.C. anytime soon. But in a hopeful future, V2G could both boost grid efficiency and reduce ownership costs for EV drivers, the researchers said. “V2G is the idea that your electric vehicle isn’t just a car; it’s a battery on wheels,” Serena Kim, the study’s corresponding author and a data scientist at North Carolina State University, told Gizmodo in an email. “Most EVs sit parked about 95% of the time. V2G technology allows that stored energy to flow back out of the vehicle and into the power grid, your home, or a building when it’s needed most, like during a hot