V2G Joint Venture: BMW, Ford, and Honda electrify the USA

As reported by the American online platform Green Cars Reports, the joint venture is expected to focus primarily on connecting EV owners in the US and Canada with electricity suppliers and offering "EV-enabled grid services." Customers who connect their EVs to the grid, exchange data with ChargeScape, and coordinate charging in a way that supports the power grid are promised financial benefits by the joint venture.

The ChargeScape partners point out that EV owners can not only earn money but also reduce the overall emissions of their vehicles if they charge when renewable energy is available. ChargeScape plans to provide energy suppliers with data to align the charging of EVs with the availability of renewable energy as well as with times of low overall power demand.

Not the charging station, the vehicle connects via WiFi

The use of electric vehicles to support the power grid has been discussed almost as long as electric vehicles have existed. BMW, Ford, and Honda expect their involvement to help the concept gain traction, as automakers can contact their customers directly through the vehicle and have a data connection to the vehicle. This eliminates the need for WiFi-enabled charging stations for the planned V2G services.

The three automakers have already teamed up with a Californian energy provider to create incentives for charging electric vehicles outside of peak load times. Instead of joining ChargeScape, GM seems to be going it alone with its GM Energy unit. According to their own statements, BMW, Ford, and Honda expressly welcome other automakers to join ChargeScape.