Audi and the Hager Group really rocked the world of the motoring public last Friday, when the two companies announced the development of a plug-in + household vehicle-to-grid EV charging system. Ummm … whut?

For those of you new to the topic, vehicle-to-grid technology (aka bidirectional charging) refers to the fact that the electric vehicle of today is really just one massive, rolling mobile energy storage unit. So, imagine the possibilities if you need electricity in case of a blackout. Just plug in your EV and buh-bye, diesel or gas emergency generators.

With V2G charging, whole neighborhoods of electric vehicle owners could also participate in coordinated “virtual power plant” actions that help stabilize the local grid to avoid blackouts or brownouts. Energy planners anticipate that this kind of energy storage aggregation will play a significant role in the smart grid of the future, as more small-scale wind and solar enter the grid.
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