Toyota Motor North America and local energy utility Pepco have teamed up to advance vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology using Toyota’s bZ4X battery electric vehicle (BEV).
This initiative aims to explore bidirectional power flow, enabling BEV owners to charge their vehicles and send power back to the local grid, potentially improving energy reliability, integrating renewables, and reducing electricity costs.
The collaboration will focus on understanding the charging habits and vehicle usage of EV owners, essential for the widespread adoption of V2G technology. With most EV owners charging their vehicles at home overnight when energy demand is lower, bidirectional capability could allow these vehicles to supply power to the grid during peak hours or critical times such as severe weather events.
“Bidirectional charging allows customers to support both the grid and their home electricity ecosystem,” said Christopher Yang, group vice president of Toyota EV Charging Solutions. “Our work with Pepco will help us understand charging and discharging use-cases, benefiting our customers and helping utility providers better understand grid demands.”
Maryland, one of the fastest-growing EV markets, aims to have 300,000 EVs on the road by 2025. Pepco is aiding this goal by installing 250 EV chargers in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. In April, Maryland became the first state to pass vehicle-to-grid legislation with the HB 1256 – the Distributed Renewable Integration and Vehicle Electrification (DRIVE) Act, which requires utilities to develop interconnection processes for bidirectional chargers.
“Pepco is at the forefront of the energy transformation by adopting technology that drives the clean energy transition,” said Tyler Anthony, president and CEO of Pepco Holdings. “Our collaboration with Toyota will help us better understand V2G technology and its impact on the grid, enhancing service reliability and supporting a sustainable and resilient future.”
The research will take place at Pepco’s Watershed Sustainability Center in Montgomery County, Maryland, using a bidirectional charger. Pepco will design and evaluate various EV charging and discharging use-cases to determine potential grid and customer benefits.
This project will also help Pepco understand the infrastructure needed for the rapid growth of EV charging and the integration of V2G assets into the grid, supporting the DRIVE Act and customer adoption.
Toyota currently offers two mass-market BEVs in North America, the bZ4X and Lexus RZ, and plans to introduce two new three-row BEV SUVs by 2025. By 2030, Toyota aims to offer 30 BEV models globally and produce up to 3.5 million BEVs annually.
Toyota, known for pioneering hybrid and fuel cell technology, employs over 63,000 people in North America and has sold over 2.6 million vehicles in 2023, with more than a quarter being electrified. Pepco, a unit of Exelon, serves approximately 944,000 customers in the District of Columbia and Maryland, providing safe and reliable energy.
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