Audi researching bidirectional charging technology

Increasing network stability, lowering electricity costs, and contributing to climate protection – that is the vision that Audi and the Hager Group are pursuing. The incorporation of the electric car into the domestic grid is at the core of an innovative research project on bidirectional charging. This offers major advantages in combination with a photovoltaic system in particular. Excess PV electricity can be stored temporarily and output as needed.

Audi is working on making its vehicle fleet CO2-neutral by 2050. They will be launching around 20 fully electric models by 2025.

In their home country Germany this year renewable energies contributed more than 50 percent to the electricity mix for the first time.

Audi is now developing a system, of bi-directional charging so that you can use the car battery for short periods to run your home or even put power back into the grid. Nissan has pioneered this system in their LEAF.

One way to benefit from this technology is for consumers to charge up at night when it is cheap and then run their house from their car in the peak period when electricity is more expensive.

Energy could also be put back into the grid to help overcome times when solar and wind powered devices are not producing enough power.

Im David Brown

Motoring Minutes are heard around Australia every day on over 50 radio channels through the Torque Radio networkMotoring Minutes have an average daily audience of over 150,000 listeners. Motoring Minutes are also broadcast as part of Overdrive Radio Program, which is broadcast through the Community Radio Network across Australia and has a weekly audience of over 450,000.

About David Brown 607 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto