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Nissan Leaf electric car powers buildings with vehicle-to-grid technology

Nissan adapts its electric car to provide battery power for buildings during emergencies.



Nissan has once again experimented with vehicle-to-energy-grid technology – a system that allows buildings to draw power from an electric car's battery pack – by powering 7-Eleven convenience stores in Japan, according to a report in Elektrek.

While most Nissan electric vehicles are only capable of drawing energy from a power outlet into their battery, vehicle-to-grid technology allows a building to draw power from a vehicle.

Battery packs taken from Nissan's electric Leaf model were repurposed for stationary use during the trial and supplied to 7-Eleven convenience stores in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan as as a proof-of-concept for the technology.

Perhaps most impressive about the system is that a vehicle – by use of a solar panel – can generate electricity to recharge the vehicle’s battery whilst also powering a building.

The technology is being developed to aid during natural disasters and subsequent power outages, with more than 8 million households in Japan having suffered loss of power in the last two years.

After Japan suffered an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, Nissan supplied 66 Leaf models to disaster-stricken areas to power essential buildings.

French marque – and affiliate brand of Nissan – Renault has also been developing vehicle-to-grid technology on a fleet of 15 of its electric Zoe models, however Renault’s efforts are more geared towards avoiding additional strain on a city’s power grid rather than powering buildings during an emergency.

Nissan expects its vehicle-to-grid technology to be commercially-available by the end of 2020.

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