Utrecht to plug in 500 V2G-capable Renaults as backup battery

The all-electric Renault 5 E-tech is one of the first Renault vehicles equipped with a bidirectional charger capable of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). From March 2025, the Dutch city of Utrecht will implement that with a fleet of 500 shared Renault EVs that will help stabilize the grid and deliver extra electricity when demand is high.

It is the first large–scale Vehicle–to–Grid (V2G) car-sharing project in Europe, a joint undertaking by the city, French carmaker Renault, the Dutch car-sharing platform MyWheels, and the Dutch charging provider We Drive Solar.

Dual role

MyWheels is the largest car-sharing platform in the Netherlands. According to a press release, it will manage a fleet of 500 electric Renault vehicles, including Renault 5 and Renault 4 E-Tech models.

“The cars will be deployed in Utrecht from March 2025 to fulfill their dual role as urban mobility solutions and energy buffers. The electric shared cars offer ten percent of the required flexibility in the Utrecht region to balance solar and wind energy over day and night.” In Utrecht, 35% of all roofs are equipped with solar panels.

Enough for 5,000 families

At peak times, the five hundred cars provide enough electricity for five thousand households, as one EV is suitable for ten families. But MyWheel users won’t notice it, as the cars only deliver when parked at their stand, which We Drive Solar will equip with bi-directional chargers. Cars will charge at off-peak hours and give back to the net when demand is highest.

MyWheels assures users that they will not have to worry about the EV they’re renting having its battery charged enough. At least a 100 km range is always maintained. “Based on use and reservations, we ensure that shared cars have enough energy to drive around while we use the remaining capacity to support the local energy grid at peak hours,” a company spokesman says.

Over-congested grid

The problem of an over-congested power grid in the Netherlands, a forerunner in EV adoption, lies mainly in the fact that users take up power en masse at the same time. That peak is roughly between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Then the Netherlands will come home, start up the heating, and prepare a meal while the EV is plugged in at the same time.

Bidirectional charging for private use is still a novelty. France is the first European country to enable it commercially. Renault is introducing bidirectional charging through its mobility brand Mobilize and German specialist The Mobility House via a dedicated (green) electricity contract.

The required charging station, a PowerBox Verso AC manufactured by French LACROI and commercialized by Mobilize, can communicate with the intelligent digital electricity meter at home.

The so-called Mobilize Power service includes a smartphone app for programming bidirectional charging. The app allows users to record criteria such as a desired battery level and the time the vehicle will next be used.

Only with a dedicated wall box

The Mobilize PowerBox Verso wall box costs €2,143, considerably more than the €1,499 for the regular 7,4 kW to 22 kW Mobilize PowerBox Uno. However, the idea is to earn back that money by selling surplus power to the grid operator.

Mobilize promises an interesting base contract priced “22% lower” than the French regulated maximum price (TRV), at €0,2018/kWh, guaranteed for one year. ‘V2G hours‘ earnings will be deducted from your electricity bills as an extra.