Nissan and Ovo to launch vehicle-to-grid service

The car manufacturer Nissan has announced plans to team up with Ovo Energy and launch a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) service in 2018.

The new service is part of a new collaboration between the two companies to accelerate the rollout of home battery storage across the UK.

The V2G service will be available for customers buying the new Nissan Leaf from January 2018 onwards, and will allow households to connect to the grid to charge at low-demand and cheap tariff periods.

Customers will also be able to use the electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery at home or feed it back into the grid.

Ovo said it also plans to create special tariffs to reward customers who use the service to interact with the grid.

Under the partnership plans, Ovo customers with solar will also be able to purchase a Nissan xStorage Home system direct from the renewable energy supplier for £4,800.

They will qualify for £350 in annual credit and an estimated £240 saving on their energy bill.

“Electric vehicles are fast becoming a mainstream option for drivers and solar many of the challenges facing our cities,” said Ovo chief executive, Stephen Fitzpatrick.

“We believe that they have an integral part to play in the twenty-first century power grid and accelerating decarbonisation and mobility,” he added.

“We’re delighted that we can now offer such a compelling incentive to customers who are generating their own clean power, providing a truly sustainable alternative to the traditional energy model.”