A large-scale vehicle-to-grid (V2G) initiative has been launched in Jiangsu Province, China, engaging more than 1,200 electric vehicles (EVs) in a project designed to feed energy back into the grid. The project, reported by the state news agency Xinhua, allows these EVs to charge during off-peak hours and then discharge electricity back to the grid during times of high demand, helping to alleviate potential energy bottlenecks.
State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power, the grid operator behind the project, successfully enlisted 1,277 electric vehicles across 482 charging stations by offering discount vouchers to participants. The initiative reflects a growing interest in V2G technology as a means to enhance grid stability and optimize energy usage.
An employee from State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power highlighted the potential impact of the project, stating, “The number of electric vehicles in Jiangsu is expected to exceed 10 million units by 2030. If just 10 percent of these vehicles participate in reverse discharging, they could provide over 1 million kilowatts of peak-shaving capacity, equivalent to plugging in a 1 million-kilowatt ‘portable power bank’ to the grid.”
In addition to the current project, State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power is also testing V2G technology with electric buses, although this trial is currently limited to just two vehicles. Jiang Renxin, Director of the Marketing Department of State Grid Zhenjiang Yangzhong Power Supply Company, emphasized the benefits of using buses in V2G applications, noting that they offer “larger single-charge discharge capacity, stable charging times, and scalability,” making them a promising option for enhancing green transportation, clean energy consumption, and power supply security in the region.
The V2G project in Jiangsu marks a significant step forward in integrating electric vehicles into the broader energy infrastructure, leveraging their potential not only as a mode of transport but also as a valuable energy resource.
