South Australia wants to use EVs as mobile batteries and “solar sponge”

The Driven

The South Australia state government says it is working on an Electric Vehicle Action Plan that will look at how to make both electric vehicles and electricity more affordable, and find ways to use EV charging as a “solar sponge” to soak up excess solar production.

The state Liberal government announced on Sunday it will spend an initial $4.9 million on its EV Action Plan, which will be formally launched this year and will be designed to facilitate private investment in charging infrastructure, boost grid reliability and lower transport and energy costs.

“What’s clear is that as electric vehicles become more affordable, smart charging can reduce drivers’ fuel bills and reduce the cost of power for all South Australians,” energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said in a statement.

“Our analysis shows that if we put the foot down on electric vehicles and do it smartly, we’ll deliver lower power bills for consumers, less air and noise pollution.”

At the heart of the plan is the use of EVs as “mobile batteries” that could act as a “solar sponge” for charging during the day, when there is often excess solar, and then be used in the evening to supply homes – or the grid – with cheaper power.

“By charging at low demand and at sunny or windy times, electric vehicles will allow us drive down wholesale electricity prices, reducing the cost of a unit of power for all South Australians,” van Holst Pellekaan said.

To read the full version of this story – and view the photo gallery – on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…