Implementation Roadmap for Swedish Automotive Vehicle-to-Grid Services in California

As electric vehicles grow in number, the question of how to balance energy demand and supply becomes critical. This project, led by Polestar with support from Future Mobility, explored the potential of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) services in Sweden and California. The work resulted in a roadmap showing how V2G can move from pilot studies to large-scale implementation, offering valuable guidance for both industry and policymakers.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a key component in strategies to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. As the number of EVs increases, so does the electricity demand. By 2030, EVs are projected to account for approximately 4-5% of Europe’s total electricity consumption. Supplying this volume of electricity on-demand to a large fleet of EVs presents challenges, potentially requiring significant infrastructure investment in the grid and electricity supply.

This Future Mobility-funded project, a collaboration between Polestar Performance Inc., the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the California Energy Commission (CEC), has produced a comprehensive roadmap and relevant insights for V2G service deployment in California. This feasibility project served as a necessary step towards implementing V2G mobility services in both Sweden and the USA.

A primary output of the project is a detailed V2G implementation roadmap, tailored for the Swedish automotive industry and the state of California. This roadmap delineates various phases, from initial technical validation and pilot programs to full-scale deployment. A significant insight identified during the project pertains to a structural difference in V2G initiative organization in the US, particularly in California, compared to Europe. While European markets often involve direct energy market participation, the US largely operates through utility-driven "programs" regulated by specific policies, often with defined temporal objectives (e.g., CO2 reduction targets). Understanding the intricacies of these program-based approaches, which can transition from pilots to full-scale but often temporary programs, proved central to the project. This insight informed the development of a four-level roadmap, from foundational technical understanding to a "full market" permanent program.

The project also included direct engagement with key US stakeholders, including major utilities, aggregators and hardware component providers. A site visit to a V2G installation in Oakland, featuring 74 bidirectional EV chargers and school buses, provided practical insights. These interactions were instrumental in gaining a deeper understanding of the US market's operational aspects and regulatory environment. The project established a broad network of contacts across the V2G ecosystem; this outcome was supported by Future Mobility and initial guidance from CEC and EPRI.

The project confirmed that many challenges in V2G implementation are consistent across regions, regardless of geographical location. This commonality in problem sets indicates the broad applicability of V2G solutions and highlights the utility of international collaboration in this domain.

Future Outlook and Dissemination

Following the project's completion, discussions will continue regarding future collaborations and next steps for the roadmap. The insights gained, particularly concerning the US market's V2G ecosystem and program structures, will inform and support Polestar's internal product development for V2G services in the US. This project has contributed to Polestar's understanding of the American market and its V2G landscape. 

The project team is committed to disseminating the results to a broader audience. The project was part of a press release for a global brand event called “Polestar Day” 2023, which resulted in 311 articles published globally. The project team has presented the project at the SF climate week Clean Energy Innovations (California-Sweden Clean Tech innovations). The project has also presented the work as an inspiration for others in a Futue Mobility webinar.

The project between Polestar, EPRI, and CEC exemplifies how Future Mobility facilitates connections between expertise from different countries and sectors to address complex societal challenges. This strategic partnership has yielded a concrete roadmap and enhanced understanding of the global V2G landscape, contributing to the development of more efficient and sustainable energy solutions.

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