Improved prospects for V2X with longer range 2nd generation electric vehicles

Abstract Vehicle-to-anything (V2X), is a technology where the energy stored in the battery pack of an electric vehicle (EV) is used for any purpose other than driving. As EVs continue to occupy a greater percentage of the total vehicle fleet, electricity demand for battery charging will rise commensurately, while at the same time renewable sources will continue to account for a greater portion of electricity provision. These conditions will require V2X to support the grid, so the ability of an EV to fulfill both its driving and V2X service needs to be satisfactorily demonstrated, which is the aim of this study. The present paper revisits our previously studied V2X usage scenarios which considered circa 2010 EVs (30 kWh), and now considers second generation EVs (2016, 60 kWh) with a significantly larger battery pack to assess its suitability in this role. An electrochemical based battery model was used to simulate the state of EV batteries over an entire vehicle lifetime, which in some cases was upwards of 20 years, under a range of usage parameters. The updated results show that using EVs for V2X is becoming far more feasible, in terms of concerns about negative impacts of V2X on battery health, as well as demonstrating that acceptable vehicle performance can still be obtained at near 40% battery capacity loss. The larger energy capacity of second generation EVs moves battery lifetimes to a period aligned with the overall vehicle lifetime, so that they would not normally need to be replaced.