Hard truths from the frontline of bidirectional EV innovation

Jumptech is at the forefront of helping our partners across the energy sector to lead the charge towards a V2G-driven future. Our platform supports efforts to scale the technology quickly and securely, taking the pain out of installations to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.

We invited friends, collaborators and experts from across the industry to our recent V2G Day. The aim – to take a closer look at the technology from the point of view of the people who know it inside-out.

In one of many talks Hangar19 CEO and technical director Steve Large admitted he once thought the idea of devices powered by Electric Vehicle battery energy “was a gimmick”.

Fast forward a few years and it’s dominating his and Hangar19’s work.

Steve shared lessons from 16 years working with bidirectional charging technology. There were some early challenges. He told how, during an early experiment with imported CHAdeMO chargers, the team bricked Nissan LEAFs during live tests. 

“Every time we bricked a car we used to roll the charger away on casters,” he said. They also needed to make many calls to Japan for support.

Hangar19 has recently focused on Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology to harness the rise of AC-enabled vehicles. A shift away from DC has gathered pace in the past year, when the industry expected a 50-50 split.

“With a bigger volume of cars able to provide V2L, not least Hyundai and MG, it seemed a waste to let campers be the only people to benefit,” Steve joked.

That said, challenges remain with AC even if it is the preferred method for V2L charging. Steve said: “Who’s checking compliance around disconnection times, especially when that’s different in markets where EVs weren’t manufactured?”

Jumptech’s software solves problems such as these. Compliance can be dealt with quickly and easily, all in one place, for full visibility and certainty. Steve added: “As an industry we will get there even if it takes time.”

Hangar 19 is running a 35-charger trial in various locations. At the moment there’s a need to install heavy £300 grid protection boxes to satisfy DNOs but Steve stated “it’s not sustainable”.

He added: “If Jumptech can solve the problem of a route through compliance without the hurdle of mountains of paperwork that will be a really important development.”

Finally, Steve told the audience about his belief in “design by doing”. This approach recognises how dynamic the technology is, and means always adapting as the tech develops.

Steve noted some aspects of V2G technology have rushed through four generations in just two years. Future success will depend on simplifying installation processes. He ended by saying: “V2G is hot to go. We are supporting this by providing electronics and software within charging points. But the application process for installs will need to change as demand grows.”

Jumptech makes scaling V2G installation faster and more efficient.

Tesla Energy says it can turn stationary storage into greater grid capacity, to become an important source of sustainable energy.

Jim commented: “Stationary storage is not deployed fast enough to match renewable generation additions to the grid. But we can leverage bi-directionality to accelerate grid storage capacity, and to complement stationary storage deployment.”