Industry tests power grid integration of e-cars

06.03.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Companies from the energy industry and BMW are launching a pilot project for grid-supportive bidirectional charging of electric cars. The aim is to use electricity and grids more efficiently.

Under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), a new pilot project for the bidirectional charging of electric cars is being launched. The companies involved are Bayernwerk Netz, BMW, EWE Netz, Lechwerke AG, Maingau Energie, Octopus Energy, Tennet, The Mobility House and Transnet BW. The project is fully funded by the industry and is intended to test grid-friendly control of charging and discharging electric cars at all grid levels for the first time.

According to Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), electric cars could not only draw electricity in future, but also feed it back into the grid when required. This would help to better utilize the grids and reduce electricity costs. The pilot project is an important step from theory to practice. In the long term, bidirectional charging could help to reduce grid expansion and increase the proportion of renewable energies in the electricity system.

Course of the project

Over the next six months, various concepts for integrating bidirectional vehicles into the electricity grid will be tested. E-cars will be given priority for charging when a lot of electricity from wind and sun is available and feed energy back into the grid when demand is high or grid bottlenecks occur. For the first time, all grid levels - from low voltage to the transmission grid - will be included.

Three of Germany's largest distribution grid operators, Bayernwerk Netz, EWE Netz and Lechwerke AG, are taking part in the project. Together they supply around ten percent of the market locations in the low-voltage range. Tennet and Transnet BW, two transmission system operators that together cover around 50 percent of the German extra-high voltage grid, are also involved. BMW is involved on behalf of the car manufacturers.

Coordination at the TU Munich

The pilot project is being coordinated by the Technical University of Munich (UnternehmerTUM) and carried out in collaboration with the "European Coalition of the Willing for Bidirectional Charging". The aim is to implement the first grid- and market-friendly charging processes in practice within six months. The system digitally controls the flow of electricity so that grid utilization, electricity prices and charging requirements are optimized. Customers can use an app to specify by when their vehicles should be charged.

Author: Susanne Harmsen