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NETWORK / 29 / JUNE 2018 Vehicle-to-grid Participants around the table debated the subject of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technol- ogy – the idea of providing balancing and flexibility services using EV battery stores that connect directly to the grid. "I would suggest that it's a nonsense," argued one. "The OEMs and the car manu - facturers are going to warranty a battery, are they going to allow you to keep charging it and discharging it?" Another agreed: "I think it's limited in what it can deliver. I don't think it's the golden goose that everyone thinks it is go - ing to be." One participant offered up an oppos- ing view: "All those things are immaterial because we're using a model that says you own the batteries. If you don't own the battery you don't care. You're buying the vehicle and the service. And that battery is probably going to be owned by either an energy supplier, an aggregator or a vehicle manufacturer. Nissan warranty their battery for 10 years. It's a source of storage and if you scale that up it is moveable storage. I think it has got great potential." "What about the infrastructure?," ques - tioned another. "I think you've got all the infrastructure," came the answer. "You've got a charge point today that only goes one way. In the UK we need to change that around and put in a charge point that is bi-directional. Power One contributor was strongly in favour of this vision, adding: "It's a no brainer that we should be ensuring that every new build has the capability to have EV charging and has the capability to be smart. Building it into a new build is cheaper than having to go back and retro-fit or upgrade. A lot of the focus has to be on what do we need to put in place that will allow us to have a no regret time in the next decade, so we can build upon that. I don't think it is just domestic, I think we've got to start looking at retail and commercial properties." Discussion then turned to public charg - ing and on street infrastructure. Some of the distribution network operators around the table agreed that they're not able to invest before need so it's not clear how infrastruc - ture gets built. "There's a lot of infrastructure in this country that is built ahead of need or is built in anticipation of need," one observer commented. "Or if it's built a™er, it's late and that's a political problem. Why are elec - tricity networks different? Can we imagine a regulatory environment where it would be possible to be more agile and responsive to need?" Another countered, by stating: "We're currently a product of the current regula- tion. That doesn't mean that DNOs don't want to build or can't build. There might be something that comes up soon that says we can under certain criteria." can go both ways on a network." Attendees around the table were asked if it's fair for the cost of infrastructure to be paid for by members of society who don't have EVs? "I think it probably is because the driv - ing force behind this is climate change and air quality," came one response. "Those fundamentally are the driving forces for EVs and zero emission vehicles – and everybody benefits from that." Another cautioned that the electrification of transport will not be enough to achieve air quality objectives. During the summing up those around the table were asked what the EV situation might look like in 2025. "I think the regulatory environment will be very different," remarked one. "I think it will be simpler. I think there will be one reg - ulator and they will be focused on pricing at the pump. There will be an opportunity for energy suppliers to pay real costs because the DNOs will have huge visibility of the system. I'm feeling very bullish. I think we'll be approaching a point where real time smart meter data in its entirety will be much more available to DNOs." Another commented that there will be an increase in the number of hybrid vehicles and that this will accelerate the demise of petrol and diesel vehicles. He said: "I think my next car is going to be a plug-in hybrid. My next car a™er that will probably be an EV. I don't think I'll have one by 2025, but I'll be on the journey towards it." Progress continues to be made in ad - vancing the technology and infrastructure needed for the mass deployment of EVs, but for now the journey continues. Accelerate featured four working parties who all participated in roundtable discussions. Eric Brown, director of innovation at the Energy Systems Catapult, provides feedback from the table. Event partners