Toyota Motor North America and San Diego Gas & Electric Company have partnered on vehicle-to-grid research for battery electric vehicles with a Toyota bZ4X.
The research will be conducted at SDG&E's campus in San Diego, California, using Fermata Energy's bidirectional charger and V2G platform. It will study bidirectional power flow technology to help BEV owners charge their vehicle's batteries from the electric grid and discharge electricity from the batteries back to the grid.
The partnership aims to look for synergies between the requirements of BEV owners and the electricity grid, while exploring ways of communication with the owners about the benefits of bidirectional capabilities.
SDG&E and Toyota will identify current and future customer benefits to be achieved through new products and services.
The pilot will assist SDG&E in understanding the infrastructure required for EV charging, both in public and private settings, and to stabilize the power grid during peak hours.
“We are embracing the concept of an entire electrified ecosystem for our customers, and the ability for vehicles to integrate with the grid is an essential component of this ecosystem," said Christopher Yang, group vice president, Toyota EV Charging Solutions. "Toyota seeks to empower utilities to better anticipate and leverage the significant number of plug-in hybrid and BEVs on their grids, both as a growing source of energy demand and, in the future, energy supply."
Toyota plans for an all-new three-row BEV SUV to be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in 2025. The company also targets to offer 30 BEV models globally across its Toyota and Lexus brand nameplates and produce up to 3.5 million BEVs annually by 2030.
