Australia’s largest vehicle to grid trial is to be expanded with the addition of BYD’s best selling EV in Australia, the Sealion 7 – the second model it has made available for a technology that could help revolutionise car ownership, home energy, and the grid.
BYD had already made its popular Atto 3 available to the trial, which is being hosted by Amber Electric, backed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and was recently expanded to up to 1,000 EVs because of the huge response from EV owners.
For the moment, BYD is the only car maker to make its EVs available to the trial, although
Amber and Arena, which is contributing $13.6 million to the scheme, are hopeful that other car makers will make their EV models available, but to date BYD is the only one, probably because they also make their own batteries, so can make their own decisions about the key issue of battery warranties.
The Sealion 7’s inclusion is a major step because it has been the second best selling EV in Australia over the last two years and there are more than 30,000 of them on the road. They feature an 82 kWh Blade battery, so plenty enough to send power to the home and to the grid.
BYD is offering a 6 per cent discount on both the Sealion 7 and the Atto 3 to buyers who commit to the V2G trial. That will offset the cost of the Star Charge equipment that delivers the V2G hardware, the cost of which is also reduced through the Arena grant.
Amber and BYD say this means that buyers will get an electric car, with the V2G – the cost of which is often a barrier – for the same price as a new EV.
Amber’s Clare Rainbow says the company so far has more than 60 clients signed up to the trial, and they are seeing “great results” as they sell into the grid at times of high prices. There are more than 8,000 people on the waitlist.
“We’re the leading residential V2G program in Australia, and having BYD expand its support to the Sealion 7, its best-selling model, is a big deal,” Rainbow said in a statement.
“It means a much bigger group of Australians can access V2G and start earning money from a car that would otherwise spend most of its time parked. That’s how this technology starts to become mainstream”
Sajid Hasan, the chief product officer at BYD said more BYD vehicles will be added in time, with some needing software updates to ensure that the V2G can be delivered safely.
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