Toyota Says EVs Could Rival Nuclear Energy As A Power Source

"That might sound like an argument against electric vehicles. After all, why unleash an entire fleet of cars on this country that could further drain our already shaky electric grid? But that's only because most people don't know about bidirectional charging: an EV's ability to charge other devices using its battery, or power entire homes, or even put energy back into the grid. Several EVs already offer this capability, and it's increasingly becoming a standard feature for these cars."

"Meanwhile, many automakers are working with electric utilities on vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot programs that could more directly support local power networks using energy from EV batteries. The latest one to step up is Toyota. The automaker recently announced that it's entering a new phase of a longstanding V2G pilot program at its North American headquarters in Plano, Texas. Working with Oncor, a huge energy utility in the Lone Star State,"

"Working with Oncor, a huge energy utility in the Lone Star State, and using Fermata Energy's bidirectional EV charger, a Japanese-spec bZ4X test vehicle is currently putting energy back into the grid. The charger "enables bidirectional energy flow by analyzing price signals and grid conditions to determine the optimal times to charge the vehicle and discharge stored energy back to the grid," the automaker said."

U.S. electricity demand is projected to surge toward 2026 due to factors such as AI data centers, an aging grid, and extreme temperatures. Bidirectional charging enables EVs to power devices, homes, or return energy to the grid, and several EVs already offer this capability. Automakers and utilities are piloting V2G programs to leverage EV batteries for local grid support. Toyota is entering a new phase of a V2G pilot at its North American headquarters in Plano, Texas, working with Oncor and using Fermata Energy's bidirectional charger with a Japanese-spec bZ4X. The charger optimizes charging and discharging by analyzing price signals and grid conditions. Toyota is running similar pilots with other utilities including San Diego Gas & Electric.

Read at insideevs.com