Everything you need to know about bidirectional charging

It is expected that the number of electric vehicles on European roads will increase from less than 5 million currently to 130 million in 2035. This means that the number of charging points will also have to increase to an estimated 65 million. In order to achieve the aforementioned gigantic increase, the EU must make drastic improvements in the field of charging infrastructure.

One of these ways is bidirectional charging. The technology of bi-directional charging can return energy from the battery of an electric vehicle to the grid. Generated energy can be used for your home or office, for example. You can read in this article how bidirectional charging works exactly, which providers offer bidirectional charging and what the benefits are.

How does bidirectional charging work?

As the word bidirectional already reveals, you can charge in two directions with this technology. This is also called V2X or Vehicle-To-Everything. If your charging station can only send power from the charging station to your electric vehicle, this is called a unidirectional charging station. In order to realize the return of the power with a bidirectional charger, it is necessary that the inverter – i.e. the charging station – can convert direct current into alternating current.

Which providers offer this long-awaited technology?

Because this technological development has not been around for very long, there are not yet many electric cars and chargers that enable bidirectional charging. Charging and discharging is already possible with the Wallbox Quasar. It is also expected that you will soon be able to charge in both directions with Alfen’s charging equipment.

Loading and unloading with Wallbox Quasar

With the Wallbox Quasar, electric vehicles are converted into powerful sources of energy. Thanks to the innovative charging technology, you can both charge and discharge. This not only charges your battery to move you, but also generates extra energy to use in your daily life. You can use the generated energy for your home, for example. It is also possible to return energy to the energy network, depending on the energy supplier you are connected to.

Soon also bidirectional charging with Alfen’s charging equipment

Alfen has also announced that it will include the next generation of charging technology for electric cars in its range, according to the ISO 15118 standard. This makes Vehicle-2-Grid possible. In short, the energy generated from the battery can be returned to the electricity grid. You will have to be patient with Alfen’s bidirectional charging equipment.

Are you curious about Alfen’s unidirectional charging stations?

What types of bidirectional charging are there?

Within V2X, there are several technologies that fall under this umbrella name. These terms are explained to you below.

Vehicle To Grid – V2G

V2G is the method of charging in which the charging station supplies the power from the battery in your EV back to the electricity grid. The big advantage of this is that energy needs can be balanced in this way and overloading of the electricity grid is prevented. For Vehicle To Grid you receive a fee from the energy supplier.

Vehicle To Home – V2H

V2H concerns the return of power from the battery of your EV to your home or a similar building. You can compare this with a home battery. The only difference between a home battery and the battery in your EV is that your vehicle has wheels. Vehicle To Home is beneficial as the electricity is cheap. In addition, you avoid the high consumption rates during peak hours.

Vehicle To Load – V2L

With V2L you use your car as a socket to power all your electrical devices, such as your tablet, smartphone and headset. Unfortunately, this way of bidirectional charging does not appear to be efficient in practice, due to the USB connection where a lot is lost.

What are the benefits of bidirectional charging?

The bi-directional charging equipment is designed so that you can use your EV’s battery as a secondary power source for your home. This way you become less dependent on the power network and peak hours are reduced. Being able to charge in two directions brings even more advantages. The most important are explained below.

#1 Make money and save

Just as is the case with solar panels, for example, you can supply energy back to the electricity network. Depending on the energy supplier you are connected to, you will receive an amount for this. You can also store the power in the battery of your EV and save it for next power use in your home.

#2 Green living

You can make your home even greener with bidirectional charging stations, especially if you also install solar panels on the roof. With these mentioned renewable energy sources you need to make less use of the regular electricity network. If there is a surplus of solar energy, you can use the battery of your EV as a buffer and use the generated power at a later time.

#3 Take advantage of the new technology

All new passenger cars that come onto the market in 2030 must be 100% electric, as stated in the Climate Agreement. Many technological developments are taking place in order to provide every vehicle with sufficient power. Bidirectional charging is expected to be the future. By investing in this new charging technology now, you can experience the new technology yourself.