Google, PG&E test plug ins that sell power back to grid- V2G concept

[greenman3610]

some ideas are just so compelling that you know they will
happen. Here is where it's going.
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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 18 — Google and Pacific Gas & Electric have unveiled their vision of a future in which cars and trucks are partly powered by the country’s electric grids, and vice versa.
The companies displayed on Monday six Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrid vehicles modified to run partly on electricity from the power grid, allowing the vehicles to go up to 75 miles on a gallon of gas, nearly double the number of miles of a regular hybrid. They also modified one vehicle to give electricity back to the power company.

The highly unusual test takes the hybrid, which is now familiar on American roads, a step further by using extra batteries to hold energy made and distributed by a power company. The technology is eagerly awaited by energy experts and environmentalists, but is not yet ready to go commercial because the additional batteries are not yet durable enough.

Google’s philanthropic foundation, Google.org, headed by Larry Brilliant, led the conversion and announced that it would be investing or giving away about $10 million to accelerate the development of battery technology, plug-in hybrids, and vehicles capable of returning stored energy to the grid.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/technology/19electric.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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much more at:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/v2g/index.html
http://www.udel.edu/V2G/
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0729/p17s02-stct.html
http://pluginpartners.blogspot.com/2007/04/wall-street-journals.html

[IDemo]

1. Power storage for the grid, and payback for EV owners

V2G is the "kicker", in my opinion, that will make the cost of owning electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids affordable. The Tesla and the Obvio 828e already claim to have V2G capability, I don't know whether or not these are going to be "plug and play" when grid operators begin using the technology.

Along with the much greater energy efficiency and reduced greenhouse gases of electric vehicles, V2G offers tremendous potential benefits for the power grid.

http://www.acpropulsion.com/technology/v2g.htm

[greenman3610]

2. Sacramento Municipal Utility District has run some numbers

(I think there is a link at the greencar site,)
that indicate this technology would allow
utilities to increase current percentage maximum
of wind power from 25% to 50%.