PressClub Asia · Article.
New energy for Neue Klasse: e-cars as energy storage
Thu Mar 21 10:15:00 CET 2024 Press Release
+++ Bidirectional charging comes with Neue Klasse models +++ Next technology boost focuses on intelligent charging +++ New functions for the charging ecosystem BMW Connected Home Charging +++
Press Contact.
Kimberley Ng
BMW Group
Tel: +65-6838-9629
send an e-mail
Author.
Kimberley Ng
BMW Group
Munich. BMW Neue Klasse models scheduled for launch in 2025 will be able to store electricity and function as a power outlet. They are equipped with technology for bidirectional charging – i.e. the ability to both accept and supply electricity.
With the latest design studies, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse sedan
and the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X SAV, the BMW Group is showing what
the next generation of core vehicles from the BMW brand will look
like. They represent the range of technological innovations with which
the company is showcasing its future viability.
With the world premiere of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X, BMW is now announcing another innovation set to enter production: the ability to charge bidirectionally. This technology makes it possible to use the high-voltage battery of an all-electric vehicle as an energy storage device and to return the cached electricity to either your own household supply or the power grid at a later stage.
This makes it even easier for BMW customers to actively contribute to the energy transition and promotes the sustainable generation and use of renewable energy. Functions such as “Vehicle to Home”, “Vehicle to Grid” and “Vehicle to Load” will therefore be available to BMW customers for the first time. This move also underlines the ongoing expansion of the BMW Group Charging offer.
“We are constantly improving our range of charging products and services in order to maximise the benefit to the customer,” says Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development. “Starting this summer, we will be offering cost-optimised charging together with our partner E.ON in a number of markets. And with the Neue Klasse we will be taking the next step: bidirectional charging. Vehicle to Home and Vehicle to Grid, all fully integrated into our comprehensive charging ecosystem – BMW Connected Home Charging. Using the vehicle, the My BMW App, the BMW backend – plus a BMW DC Wallbox Professional and their photovoltaic system, customers will be able to control the energy flow in such a way that home charging is possible off grid at times. And, of course, they will also be able to lower their charging costs by feeding the electricity stored in their BMW back into the power grid.”
Vehicle to Home: electricity for your
household
In the technology’s initial stage,
bidirectional charging will enable customers to essentially use their
vehicle’s high-voltage battery as a stationary energy storage device.
Here, the carbon-neutral electricity generated by the customer’s
photovoltaic system is temporarily stored in the vehicle’s battery
with the help of the BMW DC Wallbox Professional and then subsequently
fed back to power other consumers in the home, making the customer
independent from the external power grid for a time and reducing their
energy costs.
Vehicle to Grid: feeding into the network
The second stage of bidirectional charging will allow customers to
make a portion of their battery’s capacity available externally. This
energy capacity can be used for both charging from the grid and
discharging electricity into it at appropriate times. Access to the
energy market is provided by BMW cooperation partner E.ON. To do this,
customers will need the dynamic electricity tariff from E.ON, who will
manage the charging process together with the BMW backend to enable
revenue generation from the energy exchange.
This function will
only become available in the various markets once the necessary
regulatory measures have been adopted.
Vehicle to Load: the car as a power bank
The vehicle to Load function allows energy stored in the vehicle to
be used for powering external electrical equipment. This means the
Neue Klasse can double as a form of mobile power bank for charging an
e-bike, for example, or supplying energy to electrical equipment while
camping.
Regardless of which type of bidirectional charging is used, the
customer's desire for mobility always comes first. This is ensured by
intuitive and easy operation in the My BMW App, which can be used to
control the entire BMW Connected Home Charging ecosystem.
Accelerating the energy transition
Bidirectional charging not only ensures greater supply security. By
both accepting and supplying electricity, electric vehicles can make a
significant contribution to the share of electricity consumption
coming from renewable sources. Using the storage capacities provided
by high-voltage batteries allows supply and demand in the area of
green electricity to be better coordinated. For example, electric
vehicle storage systems can selectively absorb peak wind and solar
energy generation and release the electricity again during periods of
low generation (night, lulls) in supply. This makes it possible to
reduce the start-up of fossil power plants and their emissions during
such periods. In this way, electric mobility is becoming an ever more
integral part of the energy revolution. With bidirectional charging,
CO2 emissions can be reduced both in the area of mobility
and in power generation overall.