ChargeSSpace, New BMW-Owned Company Ford And Honda Focus On Optimizing Electric Vehicle Network Services

JAKARTA - With more and more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, the burden on the power grid is expected to grow significantly. By returning some of the power from electric vehicles to the home power grid when you don't need them, it will obviously be profitable.

Ahead of the opening of the Detroit Auto Show automotive exhibition, today, three automotive giants BMW, Ford, and Honda announced they have partnered to create a new company that is fully focused on bidirectional charging in the United States called ChargeScape.

This bidirectional or two-way charging technology allows the car to take power from the charger and return part of the power to the power grid if not needed.

The joint venture will help EV owners of the three automotive manufacturers share electricity with their local power grids. Through various charging services managed and energy sharing, the company hopes to "open a fully new value that EVs can provide to power grids."

"Electric vehicles are opening up entirely new benefits for customers who can save their money while supporting network resilience and increasing the use of clean and renewable energy," said Bill Crider, Ford Motor Company's Global Head of Charging and Energy Services, in a company release, Tuesday, September 12.

ChargeSSpace will help accelerate the true potential of the EV revolution by providing significant benefits for both Utilities and EV customers through smart vehicle-to-network services.

The joint venture hopes to offer cost-effective operational benefits for local utilities. However, ChargeScape adds that customers will always have control over when their vehicles are filled and vacated, to ensure that drivers have sufficient power to achieve their goals.

"We rely on this platform to create new value for our customers by connecting EVs to electrical utilities, strengthening network resources, and reducing CO2 emissions," concluded Jay Joseph, VP of Sustainability & Business Development, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

He added, with automotive manufacturers heading towards the future of electrification, ChargeScape is a solution that allows all stakeholders to work together for the good of customers, society and the industrial world by enabling greater use of renewable energy for and from mobility.

ChargeScape is also said to provide a schedule for managed charging through vehicle connectivity without requiring a Wi-Fi charging station. This will support many electric vehicle customers who do not use a'smart' charger at home, because their electric vehicles will not be accessible to electricity network services.

BMW, Ford, and Honda also welcome other automakers to join and fully open up opportunities to get ChargeScape electricity grid service offerings after the company is fully operational.