Volkswagen testing vehicle-to-grid DC EV charging

15/12/2020

Volkswagen’s Group Components division is testing a new vehicle-to-grid capable 22kW DC electric vehicle charging solution.

The new DC wallbox is being piloted at five sites with 20 DC wallboxes in Germany to gather experience ahead of launching a production series version.

Mark Möller, head of the technical development and electric mobility division, said: “An extensive and needs-based charging structure is the key to the success of electric vehicles (EVs).

“That is why we are working on various approaches that enable customer-oriented, intelligent and flexible charging.”

With the new wallbox, electric vehicles can be charged with direct current (DC) up to 22 kW – which VW says is about double the speed of a typical wallbox working with alternating current (AC).

Power can flow in both directions with power stored in the vehicle able to be returned to the grid if necessary.

VW said that in the future, V2G functionality will mean EVs can “serve as a power storage unit for private homes or as a buffer for the power grid”.

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