Nissan has unveiled a strategic partnership with energy giant E.On to further develop its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging capabilities across Europe.
The deal, announced this morning, will see the two entities combine to explore opportunities, pilot activities and commercial prospects of V2G, renewables, battery storage and grid integration.
While the partnership’s preliminary activities will be confined to Denmark, both companies said they intended to expand its work into the rest of Europe in the near future.
The partnership will use V2G infrastructure and take advantage of Nissan’s proprietary bi-directional charging technology, while feeding into the automotive giant’s existing work on a “comprehensive electric ecosystem”.
E.On becomes the latest in a growing line of energy companies Nissan has entered into strategic partnerships with as it becomes ever-involved in the wider energy landscape.
Nissan has established links with the likes of Enel, OVO Energy and Eaton, but last month Francisco Carranza Sierra, managing director at Nissan Energy, told Clean Energy News that the company was mulling further partnerships in the space.
Paul Wilcox, chairman at Nissan Europe, expanded by stating that the company was “on a mission to break down every barrier” to electric vehicle ownership.
“This exciting partnership with E.ON is another step on that journey. Our goal is for Nissan to be recognised as the go-to automotive partner for energy services, with the ultimate ambition to provide free electricity for our EV customers.”
The ambition for free electricity to run EVs is closely linked to Nissan’s work in generating electricity from renewable sources and providing grid services.
Nissan is also in the process of installing some 2,000 V2G units in the UK in support of various pilot projects funded by the government, which CEN revealed back in January.
Karsten Wildberger, COO at E.On, added: “The partnership between Nissan and E.ON is driven by the common spirit of offering customers even more comfort and service. We are also speeding up the development of electric mobility in the world of tomorrow through ambitious initiatives.”
