The environmental impact of electric vehicles has been in the media for some time. Now comes news that electric vehicles can also impact running the home.
An exhibit at the Georgian College Auto Show, in Barrie, Ontario, demonstrates the integration of electric vehicles into the home by using the latest Smart Grid technologies. The display, which is run by Nissan and PowerStream, shows how an electric vehicle such as the Nissan LEAF can help power the home by converting energy stored in the car’s batteries to residential use through a system called Vehicle to Home (V2H).
With energy stored in its 24kW lithium-ion battery, a fully charged Nissan LEAF can provide enough electricity to run a typical residential Canadian home for a full day. The LEAF to Home electricity-supply system is gathering attention as a new form of infrastructure, as well as contributing factor to energy saving and alternative energy use. PowerStream, Ontario’s second-largest community-owned company, began working on the project after taking delivery of Nissan’s fully-electric LEAF vehicle.
“The PowerStream/Nissan display proves how smart connections between the grid, the home and the car can help us improve the way energy is managed, consumed – and conserved,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, who is chairman of the board at PowerStream. “The collaboration between Nissan and PowerStream illustrates the dramatic changes underway in technology and how two industry leaders can collaborate to benefit consumers.”
Studies have shown that cutting off one household from the network when power demands are their highest can significantly contribute towards the stable supply of power throughout the grid. The Nissan/PowerStream V2H system demonstrates leading-edge technologies and the future capabilities of Smart Grid and the benefit to consumers.
CNW Group/Nissan Canada
Nissan Canada and PowerStream demonstrate the Nissan ‘LEAF to Home’ charging system for first time in Canada at the Georgian College Auto Show in Barrie.
Earlier this week in Japan, Nissan introduced the EV Power Station, an electric-vehicle charging station developed by Nichicon Corporation. The EV Power Station can fully recharge the LEAF’s high-capacity batteries in as little as four hours, approximately half the time required by conventional chargers.
“The public debut of V2H in Canada today will drive new advancements and collaboration in the auto industry of tomorrow,” said Nissan Canada president Allen Childs. “V2H will foster literal connections, such as those between vehicles, infrastructure, the Internet, and the nation’s electrical grid, and the connections and relationships between engineers who are developing the next generation vehicle technology.”