A national nonprofit of automakers and energy service providers focused on the transition to electric vehicles has launched an effort to bring more utilities into the conversation.
The Vehicle-Grid Integration Council on April 30 announced the creation of a Utility Collaboration Forum, designed to facilitate discussion between power companies and VGIC members, including American Honda Motor, Ford Motor, General Motors, Toyota Motor North America, Nissan Group of North America and Fermata Energy, which specializes in vehicle-to-grid solutions.
Utilities participating in the collaboration forum include Pacific Gas and Electric, Consolidated Edison, National Grid, San Diego Gas & Electric, Peninsula Clean Energy and Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Annual EV sales are growing, though more slowly than previously. EVs made up 7.3% of new vehicle purchases in the U.S. in the first quarter, according to data from Cox Automotive. But the slowing sales growth is to be expected, said analysts at the services and technology provider.
“Segment growth typically slows as volume increases,” Cox said in its Q1 EV sales update.
New York will need 2 to 3 million EVs on its roads by 2030, and 10 million by 2050, to meet its climate goals, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Consolidated Edison serves New York City, and company officials say they are looking for ways to serve increased EV demand while strengthening the electric grid.
In January, Con Edison filed a managed charging implementation plan with state regulators describing rapid growth of EVs in its service territory. There were about 69,000 EVs in its territory as of January 24, 2024, the utility said, and new registrations doubled from 15,000 in 2022 to about 33,000 last year.
About 17.7% of the light duty EVs in Con Edison’s service territory are signed up for the utility’s managed charging program, which incentivizes owners to charge during off-peak hours. As EV adoption continues, Con Edison said it plans to expand and improve the program, including growing the list of compatible charging equipment and its customer outreach efforts.
Working with VGIC’s utility collaboration forum “will allow us to collaborate with industry stakeholders around the nation on vehicle-grid integration best practices as we work to get more EVs connected to our grid,” Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud, Con Edison’s director of e-mobility and demonstrations, said in a statement.
VGIC said it plans to host “quarterly deep dives on key [vehicle-grid integration] topics,” including bidirectional charging and and the design of vehicle-to-everything programs. “These sessions will provide an engaging and trusted space for utilities and VGIC members to openly share feedback and foster alignment to break down VGI barriers,” the nonprofit said.
Northern and Central California make “up the nation’s largest EV market,” said Mike Delaney, vice president of utility partnerships and innovation at PG&E. Working with the Utility Collaboration Forum will be an “opportunity to further strengthen PG&E’s industry-leading efforts to create the most robust vehicle-grid-integration portfolio in the world,” he said.
There are nearly 600,000 EVs in PG&E’s service area, the utility said in February, “representing one in seven EVs in the country.”
