Vehicle to Grid (V2G)

Dear Colleagues,

With the continuing rapid global expansion of renewable energy generation and accelerating utilisation of electric vehicles (and associated recharging infrastructure), there is growing concern regarding the operation and stability of conventional electricity grids. Many systems are exploring the integration of stationary electrical energy storage systems, generally in the form of static battery systems, to help to regulate and instantaneously balance increasingly stochastic electricity generation and growing unmanaged EV demand.

However, with both these system-balancing and demand-growth challenges to existing electrical grids, there remains a significant opportunity to utilise aggregation of all these EV batteries when grid-connected as a utility scale virtual energy store. This concept is termed Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and permits bidirectional charging and discharging of aggregated EVs to help to balance and support the local electricity grid.

V2G is being explored in many countries; however, this Special Issue of the Vehicles journal will focus on current efforts to address:

1. EV interface standards and protocols with EV supply equipment (EVSE, i.e., charging infrastructure) that permit aggregator control of EV battery charge and discharge operations;
2. Aggregator control, scheduling and economics. The communication between individual EVs, the aggregator and EV user/owner are critical in addition to understanding how the aggregator determines the instantaneous control action required, and devolves this to individual EV charge/discharge actions. Investigation into business models for V2G operation are critical in enabling this functionality to be exploited;
3. Related concepts of V2’X’, where ‘X’ could be ‘H’ for vehicle-to-home, or ‘B’ for business use;
4. Review articles of V2G demonstrator projects and learning;
5. Understanding of electricity policy and grid operation changes that are needed to permit large scale use of V2G;
6. Detailed understanding of the impact on EV battery degradation and lifetime from participation in V2G schemes (compared to EV only/non-V2G operation);
7. More ‘vehicle’ than system focus.

Articles discussing investigation and review of these points are welcome from the many researchers, companies and nations exploring the potential for synergistic utilisation of clean electric transport to provide the lowest capital cost, utility scale electrical energy store.

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue, and full papers, communications and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Andrew Cruden
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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