Mitsubishi plans two-way traffic – between homes and electric cars

The Driven

A new system that will allow a homeowner to capture energy from the sun and then share it as needed between their house and battery electric car – and back again – is being offered by Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi.

It’s a concept that to some may seem very futuristic, particularly given the current debate around EVs in Australia, but there is logic and opportunity in integrating home and car energy needs to not only use the same source of power, but also share that power according to day-to-day needs.

Sun out? Plug the car in, and charge up the home and car battery to the brim.

Cloudy day and home battery running low? Plug the car in and funnel power back to the home. Put the kettle on.

The Dendo Drive House (DDH) system that will first be available in Japan and Europe, uses vehicle-to-home technology (V2H) to allow multiple electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to benefit from the solar power captured in a home’s battery and also share back to it when the home battery energy levels drop.

The packaged system will be sold through Mitsubishi dealers, including not only the car itself, but also rooftop solar panels, bi-directional charger and home battery.

Read the full story on RenewEconomy’s dedicated electric vehicle site, The Driven…

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.

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