Honda, Ford, and BMW Create Company To Streamline Vehicle-To-Grid

Three automakers want to revolutionize how the electric grid sees and uses EVs.

It seems like the EV revolution has made for odd bedfellows; nearly every EV aspirational automaker has found a partner of some sort for EV development or EV infrastructure. BMW, Honda, and Ford have partnered up and created a new company focused on simplifying the relationship between EVs, electrical grids, and the customers that use both.

This new company, called ChargeScape, is equally owned by the three entities. The collaborative effort will focus on managing and optimizing EV vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities. For those not in the know, V2G means an EV battery can output its energy to the electrical grid. For example, an EV may store energy at night or other off-peak hours, and then discharge during the day when pricing is high. Or, the vehicle could flat-out power a home or building for a while. The main goal is to reduce strain on the electrical grid, allowing homeowners and business owners to use their vehicles to power their domiciles.

V2G isn’t new, but this collaboration allows utility companies to receive and manage the V2G and charging data amongst a wide variety of EVs, not just the individual customers who opt-in one by one. It would also work with home-charged EVs with basic chargers that aren’t internet-connected. Still, ChargeScape says that the smart V2G programs won’t mess with a driver’s ability to have enough energy to drive. Smart programming will ensure that the vehicle will always have enough energy for its destination.

Honda, BMW, and Ford expect ChargeScape to be operational next year. It also invited other automakers to join the coalition, too.

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