Norton Way to explore vehicle-to-grid charging benefits at Hertfordshire Nissan site

Norton Way Nissan in Letchworth will take part in a new project to test the use of energy sharing between electric vehicles (EVs), buildings and the national grid.

Using Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Building (V2B) technology, the project aims to help businesses work out how best to electrify their fleets and make the most of the batteries inside EVs.

The plan centres on the use of EVs to help with the dealership’s energy requirements when they aren’t being used. The cars will be charged overnight when the demand for electricity is less, and while power can be obtained more cheaply.

With the use of renewable energy and bi-directional chargers, the business will be able to cut costs by using electricity stored in electric vehicles.

Special simulations will be run to look at demand levels, EV usage and associated factors such as tariffs and connection constraints.

Norton Way’s parent company, Marubeni, will be working with SmartestEnergy, the next-generation energy firm it owns, and Grid Edge, Virta and Origami for the project.

The Norton Way Nissan dealership will be involved in the scheme for at least a year.

Neal Grainger, financial director of Norton Way Group, said: ‘‘Norton Way is excited and proud to be a front-runner in the automotive sector’s electric revolution.

‘‘It’s a fact of life that the UK needs to become more agile in terms of its energy usage. We see our proof of concept project as a great opportunity to flatten our energy requirements as a business whilst offering a real opportunity for this technology to become widely accessible in the future, not just for car dealerships but all businesses. 

‘‘We can see a future where businesses buy an energy solution in which renewable energy and electric vehicles are fully integrated to deliver environmental and economic benefits.  Some people have concerns over the longevity of the motor industry, but here at Norton Way, we are determined to stay ahead of the curve in providing mobility solutions to our customers for many years to come.’’