Nissan leaf to help power Canberra

Nissan Leaf - plugged in and powering up

Nissan’s all electric sedan, the Leaf, has bi-directional charging which is approved in European markets as a power pack to plug back into the network or applications such as powering your house.

The technology has yet to be approved in Australia but the ACT government has initiated a trial.

The trial will see 51 Nissan LEAF as part of the ACT Government fleet, provide Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) to the National Electricity Market.

This refers to the energy used to keep a power grid operating at its optimum levels at times of fluctuating demand. It’s this injection or reduction of power that prevents instability in the grid that can lead to blackouts.

This is similar to the South Australian Government using Tesla batteries but in the ACT it is just a trial to prove that the bi-directional concept works.

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