ChargeScape, a joint venture focused on electric vehicle-grid integration and owned by BMW, Ford and Honda, will see Nissan join as an equal partner through the acquisition of a 25% stake. Once the transaction has been completed, Nissan will roll out ChargeScape services to its EV drivers across the USA and Canada.
Last month, BMW, Ford and Honda announced the launch of ChargeScape, whose software wirelessly connects to EVs and manages the flow of electrons in line with real-time grid conditions, temporarily reducing demand when the grid is constrained through smart charging (V1G) and even leveraging sending energy back into the power grid when needed (V2G).
Nissan’s induction into the ChargeScape alliance is of significance given its sales of over 650,000 LEAF models in the USA. The vehicle is one of the first EVs with the capability to export power back to the grid. Nissan is investing heavily in bidirectional charging (V2X) capabilities for its entire electric fleet around the world, and ChargeScape is currently building virtual power plants in California, Texas and other markets.
ChargeScape aims to streamline the complexity of electric vehicle-grid integration by providing the solutions in a single platform. It also unlocks financial benefits for EV drivers by enabling services like managed charging and vehicle-to-grid export.
When connected with ChargeScape’s platform, EV drivers can receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand and will eventually be able to sell the energy stored in their vehicle’s battery back to the power grid.
Joseph Vellone, ChargeScape CEO, said, “Nissan’s decision to join us underscores their commitment to helping customers charge more cheaply and sustainably and highlights ChargeScape’s central position in the vehicle-grid integration space.”