Nissan, a Japanese automaker, has partnered with a subsidiary of Hitachi to launch a new system for elevator power during blackouts. This innovative solution will utilize the batteries of electric vehicles (EVs) to provide energy to elevators.
While still a rarity, bi-directional charging technology is gaining popularity, with companies such as Ford and Renault exploring its potential. With this technology, vehicles can serve as a source of power for homes and even feed energy back into the electrical grid.
Nissan and Hitachi Building Systems are exploring a new application for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in earthquake-prone Japan. The companies aim to keep elevators operational during power outages by utilizing the energy stored in EV batteries.
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In a recent pilot project, they were able to keep a 9-person capacity elevator running at a slow speed for 10 hours using a fully electric Nissan “kei” car battery. The V2X system leverages the CHAdeMO charging standard supported by Nissan and is capable of drawing power from larger Nissan EVs, including the Ariya and Leaf models. An executive from Hitachi Building Systems confirmed the use of the CHAdeMO standard.
Tatsunori Takahashi, a director in the domestic business management division of Hitachi Building Systems, said he hopes the firm will start providing the system to apartment buildings from the financial year starting in April.
