In September 2020, the first public bi-directional charging point was installed in Belgium in full Corona. April 2021, the first bi-directional charging point with ABB was installed at SWECO. Thanks to subsidies from Flemish government, this pilot project was realized. Recently, a private citizen also invested in a Wallbox bi-directional charging point. So that in itself is not new. The question now is: will the rise of bi-directional charging points be unstoppable and will we soon all have one to use the battery of our car as a battery pack for our home? Or is this trend an even more limited phenomenon? Stroohm found out what the situation looks like today and whether there are still barriers.

What Is A Bi-Directional Charger?

With two-way charging technology, you can both charge and discharge your car. So you can power your home or the grid with your car’s battery. With this type of charging point you can e.g. store solar energy in the car battery during the day and use it yourself later or sell it more expensively during a peak moment. Note: Your car must be suitable for this! Currently, only the Nissan Leaf is suitable for this, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the older Kia Soul. After all, they use an older connector called “CHADEMO.” The modern CCS connectors used in all current cars have not yet been applied to these bi-directional charging points. I.e.: not yet usable for 99% of electric cars for the time being. There are whispers that although some cars are technically already equipped, they are software locked until there is a clear framework to activate it.

What Does The Grid Operator Obligate?

The grid operator federation Synergrid maintains a list of all homologated inverters that are allowed to inject electricity into the grid. There are many inverters for solar panels and now also bi-directional load points. This list can be found via document C10/26 where recently the Wallbox Quasar has also been homologated. Charging points must also be reported to your network operator. For safety reasons, bi-directional charge points must stop injecting into the grid when they are operational. So check carefully which charge points may be installed.

Cost

Bi-directional chargers are not yet sold and installed in large numbers and with a cost of €5,775, this type of new technology is still a lot more expensive than a conventional charging point (€750 to €1,200). It is impossible to get the extra cost out of it since you cannot yet optimize electricity for €5,000 through your battery. From the moment hourly rates are introduced, we will be able to reach this turning point faster. Today a cost of up to €3,000 is within a financially interesting investment. Should frequent power outages occur, in addition to the cost price, there is also a comfort aspect to this investment. Your car will then be able to power your home for a week. This is why, after the shutdown of their nuclear park, Japan had so many Nissan Leafs bi-directional charging.

Employer & Taxation

Those thinking of charging cheaply at the office to reduce home energy bills will find it difficult to do so unnoticed. After all, consumption will increase exponentially. A good car policy makes good arrangements. So it will usually not be allowed to power charge at the office for private purposes. But suppose this is allowed by the employer, the tax authorities will probably take a different view. After all, this would be a benefit in kind that will be additionally taxed, eliminating the benefit. As a result, according to Stroohm, corporate fleets will inhibit rather than promote bi-directional charging because the potential administration and follow-up will be high.

Leasing Company And Warranty

Finally, most electric cars are also company cars. Since bi-directional charging has an impact on battery aging, there is little chance today that leasing companies will accept it (after all, they own the car!). Residual value is an important element in their pricing. Contracts today are drawn up ifv the mileage and not on the basis of the number of cycles the battery has performed. Even the car brands are not prepared for this, as their warranty is also based on the number of kilometers driven. Stroohm therefore expects a lot of adjustments and restrictions in terms of use and warranty from this angle, which will limit implementation.

Conclusion

So there are still some adjustments to be made in the fleet sector to make bi-directional charging points commonplace among professional fleets. But it is clear that this technology will eventually prevail because of its many advantages for energy transition.