Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd has announced that using a platform operated by the company, US-based Xcel Energy Inc. and four automakers have started an EV (electric vehicle) charging pilot program
Integration of EV and grid
Recently, a series of new measures has been implemented in the US to prevent grid instability due to the rapid increase in the proportion of power generation by renewable energy. As one of these measures, the Open Vehicle-Grid Integration Platform (OVGIP) project was launched by automakers in the US to use EV batteries as part of the smart grid, stabilize the system, and alleviate congestion of the power transmission and distribution lines in anticipation of the spread of EVs.
Sumitomo Electric has participated in the OVGIP project as a solution provider since the initial phase in 2013. The company has built and operated a platform for integrating the information owned by an electric power company and automakers.
The test will encourage users to charge their vehicles in time slots when the demand for electric power is low.
Pilot programme & testing
By using this platform, Xcel Energy will conduct a pilot program for charging EVs in cooperation with four automakers (BMW of North America, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and American Honda Motor). In this test, the EV charging time will be remotely managed by the automakers, using the data and signals communicated through the platform operated by Sumitomo Electric.
The test will encourage users to charge their vehicles in time slots when the demand for electric power is low. Xcel Energy and the four automakers will evaluate the test results and make improvements. Toward further spread of EVs, they aim to build an environment where many users can charge their EVs easily.
Read more: Sumitomo Electric To Supply 132kV Cable For UK Offshore Wind Farm
Global deployment
Sumitomo Electric has been expanding its business in the fields of energy management and telematics. Taking the opportunity of our participation in this OVGIP project, in the future, Sumitomo Electric will commercialize new services that can be deployed globally in the fusion domain of energy and mobility, and work toward the realization of a sustainable, safe and secure, affluent, and comfortable daily living.
Featured photograph (source: Sumitomo Electric) shows a schematic diagram of the OVGIP configuration.
