BC Hydro announced Canada’s first vehicle-to-grid pilot project for medium and heavy-duty vehicles, meant to enable electricity to be pushed back to the grid from the battery of an electric vehicle (EV).
The bidirectional charging trial project for medium-sized vehicles such as buses, and heavy-duty vehicles like transport trucks, is the first of its kind in the province, and the country, BC Hydro said. Compared to other backup generation, these medium-sized vehicles are meant to be mobilized faster and cleaner than traditional sources like diesel generators.
As the electric vehicle market grows, vehicle-to-grid technology can offer several benefits, BC Hydro said, including the ability to aid in emergency response by providing power to critical infrastructure such as schools, community centers, hospitals, and police and fire departments, during major storms or natural disasters.
“The average car is parked 95% of the time, and with the evolution of technology solutions like vehicle-to-grid, stationary vehicles hold the potential to become mobile batteries, powered by clean and affordable electricity,” said Chris O’Riley, President and CEO of BC Hydro.
BC Hydro said it has successfully tested a 60-kW charger connecting a Lion Electric school bus from Lynch Bus Lines. The typical bus battery holds 66 kW of electricity – or enough to power 24 single-family electrically-heated homes for almost two hours.
While vehicle-to-grid technology is still in the trial stage in Canada, it has been used successfully in the U.S. and Europe. Manufacturers in the U.S. have recently been introducing or researching V2G tech, including Honda and Mitsubishi, Toyota in collaboration with SDG&E, Volvo, and General Motors.
