Nissan has joined ChargeScape, a joint venture established by BMW, Ford, and Honda for the network integration of electric vehicles in North America. Following the completion of the Nissan transaction, the four automakers will each hold 25 percent of ChargeScape.
The idea behind ChargeScape is to create a cost-effective platform for the network integration of electromobility, connecting energy providers with automakers and their electric vehicle customers in the United States and Canada. Nissan is now joining as the fourth partner. The founding members emphasized their openness to additional partners when they initially announced the venture in September 2023 and implemented it last month.
The goal of this expanding group of shareholders is to maximize the full potential of electric vehicles for power grids and provide financial benefits to electric vehicle owners through a variety of charging and energy services managed on this platform. The core platform is based on years of cross-industry research on the Open Vehicle-Grid Integration Platform (OVGIP), in which BMW, Ford, and Honda were involved.
The new solution aims to eliminate the need for bilateral agreements between automakers and power providers. Through ChargeScape, energy providers can access battery energy from a wide pool of electric vehicles and offer financial benefits to customers by charging at “grid-friendly” times. In addition to V1G smart charging, the platform will also enable V2G services involving the feedback of energy from the vehicle to the grid.
The inclusion of Nissan in the ChargeScape alliance is seen as significant because the company has sold more than 650,000 Leaf models in the United States, one of the first electric vehicles with the ability to export power back to the grid. Nissan is heavily investing in bidirectional charging capabilities, and ChargeScape is currently establishing virtual power plants in California, Texas, and other markets.
“We are delighted to welcome Nissan to the ChargeScape joint venture,” said Joseph Vellone, CEO of ChargeScape. “Nissan’s decision to join us underscores the company’s commitment to helping customers charge more affordably and sustainably, highlighting ChargeScape’s central role in the vehicle-grid integration sector.”
“ChargeScape helps us connect energy providers more conveniently and effectively with electric vehicle drivers, providing them with incentives to participate in managed charging and vehicle-to-grid programs,” said Kent O’Hara, President of Nissan’s 4R Battery Business. “By joining ChargeScape, we are contributing to a nationwide reduction in CO2 emissions by enabling utilities to utilize battery storage for electric vehicles to balance peak loads on the grid while optimizing the use of renewable energy sources.”