Car manufacturers BMW, Ford, and Honda have announced the formation of ChargeScape, a company dedicated to integrating electric vehicles into the energy distribution grid in the United States and Canada.
The goal is to create an open platform that connects energy companies, automakers, and vehicle owners.
According to a statement released by the companies, the platform will allow grids to utilize the battery energy of connected cars during peak hours and enable drivers to charge at a lower price during periods of reduced demand.
The initiative is based on the concept of the Open Vehicle-Network Integration Platform (OVGIP), which facilitates the connection of systems from different companies and vehicles.
The car manufacturers’ statement reads: “Building upon years of cross-industry collaboration through OVGIP, the unique ChargeScape platform will eliminate the need for individual integrations between each car brand and every electric power provider. The ChargeScape platform will provide electric service companies access to battery energy from a wide range of electric vehicles.”
Participants using electric vehicles (EVs) will be able to achieve financial benefits by charging during “grid-friendly” hours through flexible and managed schedules.
Electric car users will also eventually have the opportunity to have an even more significant impact by sharing the energy stored in their vehicle batteries with the grid during periods of high demand through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications.
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