Eindhoven is the second city in the Netherlands where shared cars use vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Through collaboration between Renault Group, MyWheels, We Drive Solar, and the Municipality of Eindhoven, electric shared cars can not only drive but also feed energy back into the electricity grid. The principle of feeding energy back into the grid is a promising step that can counteract grid congestion, make the grid more flexible, and contribute to a faster transition to sustainable energy.
Starting Monday, December 1, the first electric Renault 5 E-Tech shared cars in Eindhoven will begin feeding energy back into the electricity grid. For this, we collaborate with grid operator Enexis, We Drive Solar, MyWheels, and Renault Group. This year, 28 shared cars capable of feeding energy back will operate in Eindhoven. Next year, this will expand to 100 V2G shared cars. Throughout the city, 50 bidirectional charging stations will be installed, each with two connections.
V2G: driving batteries
Last summer, the first V2G shared car project took place in Utrecht. In Eindhoven, we focus on the combination of shared mobility and smart energy technology. The electric vehicles store energy when the supply of green energy is high and feed it back during peak moments. By deploying decentralized technology at scale, the driving batteries help balance the local energy grid and better utilize the capacity of sustainable energy.
Results in Utrecht
Grid operator Stedin reports positive results from five months of V2G charging in Utrecht. With 50 cars, grid congestion was reduced by up to 300 kW in the evening hours, and together over 65,000 kWh was fed back into the grid. With the addition of 120 V2G shared cars in Utrecht, this winter aims to achieve 1 MW of congestion reduction at multiple moments by further optimizing control. This corresponds to the peak demand of approximately 1000 households during evening hours.
Stimulus for sustainable urban innovation
Eindhoven is the second location for this innovative collaboration project. The city strongly focuses on sustainable mobility, smart infrastructure, and energy management: themes that seamlessly align with V2G technology.
Robert Strijk, alderman for Mobility for the Municipality of Eindhoven: The principle of electric shared cars that also feed energy back fits perfectly with our vision of a smart, clean, and livable city. The technology promises a double win: sustainable mobility and a smart energy system. At the same time, we want to remain realistic and will investigate in practice whether these cars indeed contribute to grid balancing and lower car ownership. Then we can determine if it works for our city.
Laurens van de Vijver, CEO of MyWheels: With the expansion to Eindhoven, we take the next step in our mission to accelerate the mobility transition. Vehicles that drive and deliver energy are no longer science fiction but reality. This way, we solve mobility and energy issues simultaneously.
Marco Knoot, marketing director of Renault Group Netherlands: With V2G Eindhoven, we build on the success of Utrecht energized and together with our partners take a new step towards a smart and sustainable energy system. Renault Group actively contributes with our expertise in bidirectional charging and with the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, an icon of tomorrow that fits perfectly in a future where cars feed energy back to the city.
Robin Berg, CEO of We Drive Solar: The start in Eindhoven confirms that bidirectional charging is ready for application in every city. We continue building a future where every electric car contributes to a stable and sustainable energy grid.
