Nissan has worked with Fermata Energy to develop a bi-directional charger for use with the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle in the United States.
With Nissan’s approval, along with its UL 9741 certification for bi-directional charging systems, the Fermata Energy FE-15 charger has passed key requirements from Nissan, and has been verified to be compatible with the Nissan LEAF. Usage of the approved charger will also not impact the LEAF’s battery warranty.
Bi-directional charging technology means not only charging the Nissan LEAF, but also sending energy stored in the vehicle battery back to the building or the grid. Ideal for companies with fleet vehicles, the Fermata Energy Demand Charge Management application, along with the FE-15 charger, continuously monitors a building’s electrical loads, and may draw on the Nissan LEAF’s energy to provide power to the building during more expensive high-demand periods. In states with utility demand response programs, bi-directional-enabled Nissan LEAF vehicles (MY2013 and later) are able to safely send energy stored in the battery to the grid during peak energy demand times, such as in summer months.
News item from Nissan
“Usage of the approved charger will also not impact the LEAF’s battery warranty.”
This is the first time, I have come across a BEV manufacturer that maintains bidirectional power flow and the battery pack warranty stays intact. This whole concept of V2G is possible, but is certainly not in common use. When that becomes the case, the narrative of battery cycling may change in the industry as a whole. For instance, the once in a while power outage could be handled by the vehicle battery as home resilience backup. In places like California, the onerous TOU period from 4PM to 9PM each day has energy prices spiking up to around $0.45/kWh, this would also be a time, those 5 hours (everyday) to start feeding energy back from the vehicle to offset the home’s use during TOU. Go from once in a while to a 365 day operation and I believe, this will affect the battery pack longevity.