Owners of Nissan Leaf electric vehicles in Australia can start using their car’s batteries to power their homes and feed back to the grid as early as the end of 2021.

Ben Warren, head of Nissan’s Australian electrification, said the company is awaiting regulatory approval for its two-way charger, which is expected to be launched in the next few months. This will enable the charger to be put on the market in the third quarter of this year.

After that, Warren stated that Nissan Leaf owners will be able to participate in smart charging pilot programs, such as the AGL Energy-led Vehicle-to-Grid Program, which is exclusively open to Leaf owners, which provides participants with two-way chargers and allows them to access The batteries on the wheels deliver energy to the grid. It is also conducting trials with the ACT government, which owns a Leafs fleet.

"By the end of this year, we expect customers to be able to participate in the power grid, whether through one of these trial programs or by purchasing equipment and installing it at home," he said.

At the Smart Energy Council Smart Energy Conference in Sydney on Wednesday, Warren emphasized the benefits of electric vehicles in addition to low-emission transportation.

"The biggest secret of the automotive industry... is that people buy vehicles to park them, not to drive them. They spend most of their lives in driveways or parking lots. This actually makes them the least efficient asset we have. One, but with electric vehicles, we can turn them into one of the most efficient assets."

This means charging when demand and/or prices are low, and returning energy to the house or grid when high. He said that electric cars should also be regarded as as many vehicles as portable batteries.

"Actually, you have the sexiest battery in the world in your driveway," he said.

In order to achieve this promise, he said, "There are many things that must happen, and there are technical considerations around how we certify chargers and plug them into the grid.

"For car owners who want to use this technology, what is the business model? This is an economic scenario."

Warren said that Japan's Nissan is experimenting with some case studies, such as using electric vehicles as an alternative power source when grid-based power supply is interrupted during natural disasters. Another experiment is to allow electric vehicle owners to choose to use electricity instead of money to pay for parking.

James Fernyhough is a reporter for RenewEconomy and The Driven. He has worked in the Australian Financial Review and the Financial Times and is interested in everything related to climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

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