The smarter E Europe will take place from May 7–9, 2025 at Messe München with its four exhibitions, Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe.

Munich/Pforzheim, January 15, 2025 - Electric cars are capable of much more than "simply" being quiet and emissions-free. Equipped with bidirectional charging technology, they can store electricity and feed it back into the grid later. The latest Transport & Environment (T&E) study shows that drivers and utility companies across Europe could save billions with this technology. Savings can primarily be achieved by the more efficient use of generation capacity, the reduction of curtailment and lower fuel consumption. This could bring the technological and economic breakthrough for bidirectional charging in European markets. It all depends on the regulatory framework conditions in place to promote the technology, though. Without the right conditions, the savings potential will remain untapped. This year, EM-Power Europe, the continent's largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry has responded to these developments by dedicating a special exhibit to the challenges and opportunities that bidirectional charging creates for the mobility and energy industries. The smarter E Europe will take place from May 7-9, 2025 at Messe München with its four exhibitions, Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe.

By storing grid-supplied power and feeding it back into the grid later, electric car batteries can provide considerable flexibility and save vast amounts of money: In their T&E study, the Fraunhofer institutes that were commissioned with the report, estimate the savings potential for consumers and utility companies at up to 22 billion euros per year across the EU. This sum equals around eight percent of the costs of constructing and operating the EU energy system. According to the Fraunhofer scientists, between 2030 and 2040, grid-supporting bidirectional charging technology could save in excess of 100 billion euros. The study concludes that in Germany alone, the savings potential is around 8.4 billion euros annually until 2040.

Integrating solar power
This staggering amount is owed to the fact that increasing volumes of renewable power - solar power in particular - can be integrated into the energy system thanks to the vast storage capacity of the e-vehicle fleet. Using vehicle batteries can reduce the need for expensive, stationary intermediate storage devices in the EU by 92 percent. The installed PV capacity could rise by 40 percent over the same period.

Prosumers stand to benefit
Battery electric vehicle owners will feel the immediate effect of bidirectional charging when the electricity rates for prosumers drop considerably in the EU, just as the study predicts. And there is another unexpected benefit: Smart bidirectional charging can be expected to extend the life span of car batteries by optimizing their state of charge.

Free mobility in France
So far, bidirectional charging has only been tested in a few pilot projects. In France, however, The Mobility House, a Munich-based company, and car manufacturer Renault have launched the first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) service. Drivers of V2G-capable Renault 5 cars can use a dedicated EV charger to charge their vehicles free of charge during the day. In exchange, their car battery is made available to the energy system. The new system is expected to be launched in Germany and the United Kingdom this year.

Next step: Adjusting the regulatory framework
But even in Germany, a strong sales market for cars, there are still some hurdles to be overcome: The roll-out of smart meters - a prerequisite for V2G - is still sluggish, and the legal basis has not yet been created. The second European Summit for Bidirectional Charging organized by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action came up with clear recommendations. Now they need to be implemented. Important aspects could include scrapping grid charges, surcharges and levies to prevent double payment, and to ensure that even once it has been stored in a car battery, green electricity remains eligible for subsidies according to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).

Special exhibit at The smarter E Europe 2025
The upcoming edition of The smarter E Europe will be dedicating a large special exhibit to the products, applications and solutions for bidirectional charging available today, as well as an outlook into the future of bidirectional charging. The special exhibit will be located right next to the Power2Drive Forum, the industry meeting point, which can be found at the heart of the exhibition. Sessions, panel discussions, exhibition tours and interactive elements will provide the opportunity to discuss, debate and network. The special exhibit will be co-organized by strong partners, such as Eurelectric, the federation of the European electricity industry, AVERE, the European Association for Electromobility, and SmartEn, the European business association integrating the consumer-driven solutions of the clean energy transition.

Markus Elsässer, Founder and CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH, and Hanna Böhme, Managing Director of Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH (FWTM) stress that "we will make the potential and relevance of bidirectional charging for Germany and Europe visible, and promote this topic together. Bidirectional charging is a link that is essential within the world of mobility as well as for establishing a 24/7 renewable energy supply."

Anyone wishing to learn more about the topic is invited to join the V2G Summit in Berlin on January 28, 2025 for a hands-on encounter with experts and detailed insights into business models:www.v2gsummit.de

As Europe's largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, The smarter E Europe unites four exhibitions (Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe) and will take place at Messe München from May 7-9, 2025.

For more information, please visit:
www.TheSmarterE.de