Image: Octopus Electric Vehicles Octopus Electric Vehicles has partnered Wallbox to launch what it claims to be the smallest and lightest vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charger in the world. The charger will allow consumers to earn up to £30 cash-back every month through feeding electricity back into the grid from energy stored in their EV’s battery. It uses a silicon carbide inverter to switch power from the DC used to power EVs to AC electricity for the grid. The new technology allows for reduction in the size and weight of the inverter, a component which usually makes bi-directional V2G chargers heavier and larger than one-way chargers. Octopus’s V2G Powerloop bundle was first introduced in 2018 as part of Octopus Energy’s Powerloop project, which aims to discover the effectiveness of EVs as a balancing mechanism. The bundle now provides consumers with a Nissan Leaf, a free Wallbox V2G charger, green energy and VIP support. The £7 million Powerloop project is being led by Octopus Energy in collaboration with Octopus EV, UK Power Networks, Open Energi, ChargePoint Services, the Energy Savings Trust and Navigant. It is part-funded by InnovateUK, having been awarded £3 million when it launched. Fiona Howarth, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, said the chargers are “market-transforming” and the company is delighted to be the first to offer them to consumers. “One of our main goals in the Powerloop project that Innovate UK backed, is to encourage companies like Wallbox to create brilliant V2G chargers, which will enable the UK to cleverly balance the grid enabling us to transition to a renewable economy."
Octopus Electric Vehicles and Wallbox have launched what they claim is the world's smallest vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric vehicle (EV) charger. The system uses a lightweight silicon carbide inverter to convert DC electricity in an EV into AC power suitable for the grid. This lowers the weight and size of the charging unit in comparison with standard inverters, which often make V2G chargers larger than traditional, single-direction chargers. The pair claim consumers can earn up to £30 ($36) a month by feeding power from their EV batteries into the grid.