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Ford Motor, BMW Group, and Honda Motor have forged a joint venture to pioneer electric vehicle grid services in North America. This initiative aims to interconnect power companies and vehicle manufacturers, ensuring an optimized charging experience for EV drivers. All three automakers will possess an equal stake in this endeavor, which seeks to promote smart vehicle-to-grid services, enhancing grid stability and leveraging renewable energy sources.
According to Nikkei Asia, BMW, Ford, and Honda are establishing a firm called "ChargeScape." The three partners expect their JV to start operations within the first half of 2024 but noted that the launch still requires regulatory approvals.
They plan to develop a platform where utility service providers, electric vehicle drivers, and automakers in the United States and Canada can share and exchange information on charging activity. Then, drivers can use the data collected to plan the best times for charging their vehicles.
This will also allow power companies to make adjustments to energy output to make sure there will be a stable power supply. The trio's "ChargeScape" platform may also be used in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications later on, where EVs will be used as storage batteries feeding the grid.
"Electric grid reliability and sustainability are the foundation for an EV-powered future," BMW of North America, LLC's vice president of engineering unit, Thomas Ruemenapp, said in a press release. "'ChargeScape' aims to accelerate the expansion of smart charging and vehicle-to-everything solutions all over the country while increasing customer benefits, supporting the stability of the grid, and helping to maximize renewable energy usage. We're proud to be a founding member of 'ChargeScape' and are looking forward to the opportunities this collaboration will create."
Ford's global head of charging and energy, Bill Crider, added, "'ChargeScape' will help accelerate the true potential of the EV revolution by providing significant benefits to both utilities and EV customers through smart vehicle-to-grid services."
Photo by: Honda Media Room
