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Utrecht has officially become Europe’s first city to implement a large-scale Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) car-sharing service, a project dubbed “Utrecht energized”. This initiative is the result of a unique collaboration between Renault Group, We Drive Solar, MyWheels, and the Municipality of Utrecht. It marks a significant step in creating a fully operational V2G ecosystem within a European city, aiming to stabilize the local electricity grid while offering residents an affordable and sustainable mobility solution. The service’s launch, which was announced in November 2024, is now live.
Key Highlights:
- Pioneering Technology: The service represents a world première in bidirectional AC charging for sustainable energy storage in shared electric cars.
- Collaborative Effort: Key partners include Renault Group, We Drive Solar, MyWheels, and the Municipality of Utrecht.
- Grid Stabilization: V2G technology allows electric vehicles to store renewable energy and feed it back to the grid during peak demand, enhancing grid stability. This is particularly relevant in Utrecht, where 35% of rooftops have solar panels.
- Sustainable Mobility: The project promotes large-scale availability of electric shared cars, accelerating the transition to sustainable urban transport.
- Initial Fleet: The service starts with 50 Renault 5 E-Tech electric cars, with plans to expand to 500 bidirectional electric models from Renault, including the Renault 4 E-Tech electric, Megane E-Tech electric, and Scenic E-Tech electric. These 500 cars are projected to deliver 10% of the flexibility needed in the Utrecht region to balance renewable energy supply.
The core of “Utrecht energized” lies in its innovative use of V2G technology. This system enables electric vehicles not only to draw power from the grid for charging but also to discharge electricity back to the grid during peak times. This bidirectional flow is crucial in a city like Utrecht, which is a leader in renewable energy but faces challenges with grid instability due to fluctuating supply from sources like solar and wind power. V2G technology helps manage these fluctuations, ensuring renewable power remains available consistently.
Renault Group is supplying 500 electric models equipped with Mobilize V2G technology. Mobilize is Renault Group’s brand focused on new mobility solutions. The initial 50 Renault 5 E-Tech electric cars are available through a car-sharing service managed by MyWheels, the Netherlands’ largest car-sharing company. We Drive Solar, an international leader in smart charging, provides the advanced bidirectional public AC chargers and aggregation technology essential for the system. This marks the first time this innovative technology has been made available for public infrastructure.
This collaborative effort between public and private entities demonstrates a pathway to more sustainable and efficient mobility solutions. However, Renault Group has emphasized the need for a supportive regulatory framework to unlock the full potential of V2G technology across Europe. The company calls for clear and consistent regulations, including fiscal incentives, revisions to grid fee structures, streamlined certification processes, and support for smart meter deployment to overcome current barriers. Successfully implementing V2G at scale requires a harmonized approach across the entire energy ecosystem, ultimately turning every EV into a grid asset and fostering a smarter, sustainable energy transition. Renault Group is already demonstrating V2G’s capabilities in France with various models.
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