At a vehicle-to-grid demonstration station in Beijing’s Xicheng District, nine bidirectional chargers stand ready to move electricity in two directions. At midday, the station is full. Some electric vehicle owners choose to charge, while others choose to discharge. One Aion owner, Mr. Li, stopped by during his lunch break to check the status of his vehicle. He said the system can automatically set charging and discharging, so after plugging in the charging gun he does not need to manage the process. The revenue from discharging can cover charging costs, and he has not paid for charging for a long time. More than that, he said, a balance remains.
The station illustrates a practical model that is moving from pilot projects into policy and commercial discussion. Charging periods are divided into peak, flat, and valley periods, with different prices in each. During the valley period from 22:00 to 7:00 the next day, the charging price is 0.3349 yuan per kilowatt-hour. During discharge periods from 10:00 to 15:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00, an electric vehicle owner can earn 0.7 to 1.3 yuan per kilowatt-hour. The spread between the two is 0.4 to 1 yuan. The system also manages the electric vehicle battery between 20 percent and 95 percent state of charge, preserving the owner’s mobility needs and safety while allowing the vehicle to provide grid services.
The station is a small window into a much larger question. The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration recently issued the Plan for Building a New-Type Power System During the 15th Five-Year Plan Period. Under the plan, by early 2030 the new power grid system will support more than 110 million electric vehicle units on the road. That scale presents a major test for grid safety. How to turn electric vehicle batteries into a kind of power bank for the grid, and how to promote safe and orderly grid operation, has become a necessary issue in electric vehicle development. Vehicle-to-grid, or V2G, is regarded as an important part of the new-type power system. Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Tsinghua University, said that vehicle-to-grid will become a key path for solving charging capacity problems as wind and solar account for a rising share of the existing distribution grid.
Data Table: Electric Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Grid Figures in the Policy and Industry Discussion
| Indicator | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| China electric vehicle ownership, end of June | Close to 50 million | Current electric vehicle fleet |
| Projected electric vehicle ownership, 2030 | 110 million to 160 million | Policy and industry projection |
| Projected electric vehicle ownership, 2040 | 300 million to 400 million | Long-term projection |
| Grid support target, early 2030 | More than 110 million electric vehicle units | New-type power system plan |
| V2G aggregated adjustable charging scale, 2025 | 10 million kilowatts | Starting point |
| V2G aggregated adjustable charging scale, 2030 | 50 million kilowatts | Target, a 400 percent increase |
| Demonstration station chargers | 9 bidirectional V2G chargers | Beijing Xicheng District |
| Valley charging price | 0.3349 yuan per kilowatt-hour | 22:00 to 7:00 |
| Discharge revenue | 0.7 to 1.3 yuan per kilowatt-hour | 10:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Price spread | 0.4 to 1 yuan per kilowatt-hour | Difference between charging and discharging |
| State-of-charge range | 20 percent to 95 percent | Automatic charging and discharging management |
- Rising Electric Vehicle Penetration Is Putting New Pressure on the Power System
Data show that by the end of June this year, China’s electric vehicle ownership had reached close to 50 million units. By 2030, electric vehicle ownership is expected to reach 110 million to 160 million units, and by 2040 it is expected to rise further to 300 million to 400 million units. Such a high level of electric vehicle ownership will create a significant impact on the grid. Ouyang Minggao said that the substantial growth of electric vehicle ownership will inevitably push charging behavior from disorderly charging toward orderly charging, and further toward vehicle-to-grid interaction. On one hand, high-power charging facilities are increasing rapidly, and large numbers of electric vehicle units charging during similar periods will bring enormous pressure to urban grids. On the other hand, onboard batteries distributed across cities can also become a large-scale energy storage resource. Through vehicle-to-grid technology, electric vehicle batteries can charge during low-demand periods and discharge back to the grid during peak-demand periods.
The policy framework reflects that logic. Under the plan, by early 2030 China will initially build a new-type power grid that is safe, reliable, green, low-carbon, resilient, intelligent, and flexible. The grid will support high-level consumption of more than 2.8 billion kilowatts of new energy and support more than 110 million electric vehicle units on the road. The plan therefore emphasizes the importance of vehicle-to-grid and sets a clear target: by 2030, the scale of aggregated adjustable charging for vehicle-to-grid interaction will rise from 10 million kilowatts in 2025 to 50 million kilowatts, an increase of 400 percent. The plan also calls for advancing core technology research on vehicle-to-grid, accelerating the construction of technical standards and a management system, comprehensively promoting smart and orderly charging, and expanding the scope of large-scale vehicle-to-grid applications in an orderly manner. It also calls for improving the peak-valley time-of-use electricity pricing mechanism for charging piles, establishing a sound price formation mechanism for discharging electricity to the grid, and guiding vehicle-to-grid resources to participate in system regulation and market trading.
Yang Kun, executive vice chairman of the China Electricity Council, judged that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period China’s electricity demand will continue to maintain rigid growth. Annual新增 electricity consumption is expected to reach 600 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the electricity consumption of a medium-sized economy added each year. Power security supply is facing new challenges. The electricity safety of electric vehicle charging is an important component, and vehicle-to-grid must play an important role in the new-type power system and help the grid operate safely. Li Kang, director of the industry research department at the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, also believes that the integrated development of the transport and energy industries will deepen further. Large-scale centralized grid connection of electric vehicle fleets in public transport, heavy trucks, logistics, and other sectors can easily impact distribution networks, so load management through vehicle-to-grid is needed. As the country continues to encourage large-scale promotion and application of vehicle-to-grid, future vehicle-to-grid pilots and demonstrations will expand further.
- Vehicle-to-Grid Is Entering a Period of Rapid Development
Over the past several years, China has actively promoted vehicle-to-grid pilots. The first batch of pilots covered nine cities and 32 projects, with the aim of coordinating core technology research, accelerating the establishment of a standards system, optimizing supporting electricity pricing and market mechanisms, and fully implementing peak-valley time-of-use electricity pricing for charging. Ouyang Minggao said that vehicle-to-grid has been incorporated into the national strategy, and large-scale demonstration projects have already started. At present, vehicle-to-grid applications can be roughly divided into three types of scenarios: park scenarios at the “point” level, transport scenarios at the “line” level, and building scenarios at the “surface” level.
To explain how large a role vehicle-to-grid can play in the future, Ouyang Minggao used a set of data. He said that as electric vehicle ownership grows, the total capacity of onboard batteries will also rise rapidly. On a conservative estimate, China will have 100 million electric vehicle units in 2030, with total onboard battery capacity reaching 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours. By 2050, based on 350 million electric vehicle units, total onboard battery capacity will reach 25 billion kilowatt-hours. China’s current daily electricity consumption is about 25 billion to 28 billion kilowatt-hours. That means that in an emergency, the electricity stored in all onboard electric vehicle batteries could roughly meet the country’s electricity demand for one day.
As a key technology for integrating transport and energy, vehicle-to-grid is in a golden window for moving from pilot projects to large-scale commercial use, supported by policy. Yang Zhongping, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said that domestic electric vehicle ownership and the charging network have formed a complete industrial foundation. Vehicle-to-grid has reached a key period for large-scale commercial implementation. Multiple national policies continue to support models such as vehicle-to-grid and virtual power plants, injecting momentum into the development of vehicle-to-grid. Ouyang Minggao judged that the next five years will remain the start-up period for the vehicle-to-grid industry. By 2030, based on 50 million kilowatts of interaction power and two hours of storage duration, the storage capacity of vehicle-to-grid will be about 100 million kilowatt-hours. During the same period, fixed electrochemical storage capacity may reach 2 billion kilowatt-hours, medium- and short-duration storage demand will be about 3.6 billion kilowatt-hours, and the remaining demand will mainly be met by pumped hydro storage and other means. 2035 will be a key node. By then, vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may increase to 600 million kilowatt-hours, fixed electrochemical storage capacity will be about 3.4 billion kilowatt-hours, and medium- and short-duration storage demand will be about 5.4 billion kilowatt-hours. After 2035, the scale of vehicle-to-grid will rise rapidly. By 2040, as the growth of fixed storage slows, vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may exceed 4 billion kilowatt-hours.
Storage Outlook Table: Electric Vehicle Battery Capacity and Vehicle-to-Grid Storage Potential
| Indicator | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Onboard battery capacity, 2030 | 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours | Based on 100 million electric vehicle units |
| Onboard battery capacity, 2050 | 25 billion kilowatt-hours | Based on 350 million electric vehicle units |
| China daily electricity consumption | 25 billion to 28 billion kilowatt-hours | Current level |
| Vehicle-to-grid storage capacity, 2030 | About 100 million kilowatt-hours | 50 million kilowatts for two hours |
| Fixed electrochemical storage capacity, 2030 | About 2 billion kilowatt-hours | Comparison |
| Medium- and short-duration storage demand, 2030 | About 3.6 billion kilowatt-hours | Comparison |
| Vehicle-to-grid storage capacity, 2035 | About 600 million kilowatt-hours | Key node |
| Fixed electrochemical storage capacity, 2035 | About 3.4 billion kilowatt-hours | Comparison |
| Medium- and short-duration storage demand, 2035 | About 5.4 billion kilowatt-hours | Comparison |
| Vehicle-to-grid storage capacity, 2040 | More than 4 billion kilowatt-hours | Fixed storage growth slows |
| LFP battery full cycles before 70 percent capacity | About 3,000 cycles | Typical battery capability |
| Calendar life | 10 to 15 years | Typical battery capability |
| Surplus cycles in a typical case | About 2,500 cycles | After meeting normal driving needs |
| Lifetime cumulative traded electricity | Close to 150,000 kilowatt-hours | Using remaining cycles for storage and power trading |
- The Consumer Economics: Turning an Electric Vehicle Into an Asset
From the consumer perspective, the premise for rapid vehicle-to-grid development is that electric vehicle participation turns the vehicle into a product with asset value, not merely a consumer good. Ouyang Minggao said that currently, before the capacity of an automotive lithium iron phosphate battery decays to 70 percent, it can generally complete about 3,000 full charge and discharge cycles, with a calendar life of 10 to 15 years. Based on a single-charge driving range of 500 kilometers, 500 cycles can meet the 10- to 15-year use needs of a general family car, with total driving mileage of up to 250,000 kilometers. Based on a single-vehicle battery pack capacity of 70 kilowatt-hours, about 2,500 cycles remain. The onboard electric vehicle battery can use the remaining cycles to participate in energy storage and electricity trading, sometimes described as trading electricity. Over the full life cycle, cumulative traded electricity can approach 150,000 kilowatt-hours. It can be foreseen that as vehicle-to-grid networks gradually expand and technology matures, more and more consumers will join in.
That consumer value proposition is central to the policy case. An electric vehicle is no longer only a transport tool that draws power from the grid. It can become a distributed resource that provides flexibility, earns revenue for its owner, and supports the operation of a power system with a higher share of renewable generation. The demonstration station in Beijing shows how price signals can align behavior: electric vehicle owners charge when electricity is inexpensive and discharge when the grid values electricity more highly. The automatic management of state of charge between 20 percent and 95 percent also shows that vehicle-to-grid services can be designed around the owner’s mobility needs rather than in conflict with them.
- Four Core Barriers Remain
Although the prospects are broad, the large-scale implementation of vehicle-to-grid still needs to overcome four core barriers: the standards system, user concerns, business models, and industrial coordination. Yang Zhongping emphasized that problems such as inconsistent standards, insufficient data interconnection, a lack of mature business models, and insufficient cross-industry coordination are restricting the scale development of vehicle-to-grid. Solving these problems requires coordinated efforts by automakers, grid companies, operators, and government to transform the electric vehicle from a load into an asset and to explore a win-win development path in which the grid remains stable, enterprises profit, and owners earn.
- Standards and data interconnection: Inconsistent standards and insufficient data interconnection complicate the integration of electric vehicle resources with grid operations and market platforms.
- User concerns: Electric vehicle owners need confidence that participation will not harm battery life, safety, or daily mobility.
- Business models: Mature commercial models are still lacking, and the value created for the grid, aggregators, automakers, and electric vehicle owners must be shared in a sustainable way.
- Industrial coordination: Cross-industry coordination among automakers, grid companies, operators, and government remains insufficient for scale deployment.
Li Kang emphasized that the first step is to continue expanding the scale of pilots and demonstrations, discover problems through demonstration projects, summarize experience, and verify technical feasibility. The second step is to guide electric vehicle users to actively participate in grid interaction through fiscal subsidies and to gradually improve the standards system. The third step is to explore business models in which electric vehicles consume clean energy and participate in carbon reduction and carbon trading.
- Technical Answers to Battery-Life Concerns
It is worth noting that many owners worry that frequent charging and discharging through vehicle-to-grid will affect the life and operational safety of electric vehicle batteries. With technological progress, this concern is no longer a problem, according to Ouyang Minggao. He said that if vehicle-to-grid adopts bidirectional pulses, the distribution of lithium can be made more uniform, lithium plating can be inhibited, and fast-charging characteristics can be improved. Bidirectional pulses can also heat the battery and improve its low-temperature performance. If the battery’s operating rate, pulse frequency, and cycle are controlled within an appropriate range, vehicle-to-grid will not accelerate battery degradation and can, to a certain extent, protect the battery.
Ouyang Minggao also addressed the relationship between cycle life and calendar life. At present, batteries have both cycle life and calendar life. The cycle life of a battery usually has a large surplus, while calendar life is often insufficient. When an electric vehicle is parked for a long time after being fully charged, this is the worst state for battery calendar life. Under a vehicle-to-grid model, the electric vehicle battery may more often remain at a half-charge state, which is instead conducive to extending calendar life. This technical perspective is important because it reframes electric vehicle participation not as a threat to battery health but as a potentially beneficial use pattern when properly managed.
- From Pilot Projects to a Scalable Electric Vehicle Energy System
The policy, technology, and market signals now point in the same direction. The first batch of vehicle-to-grid pilots covered nine cities and 32 projects. The plan sets a 2030 target of 50 million kilowatts of aggregated adjustable charging, up from 10 million kilowatts in 2025. The grid is expected to support more than 110 million electric vehicle units by early 2030. Electric vehicle ownership is projected to reach 110 million to 160 million by 2030 and 300 million to 400 million by 2040. Onboard electric vehicle battery capacity is projected to reach 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours in 2030 and 25 billion kilowatt-hours in 2050. Those figures explain why vehicle-to-grid is being treated as a strategic resource rather than a niche experiment.
At the same time, the scale of vehicle-to-grid storage is expected to grow in stages. By 2030, vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may be about 100 million kilowatt-hours. By 2035, it may rise to 600 million kilowatt-hours. By 2040, it may exceed 4 billion kilowatt-hours as fixed storage growth slows. These projections place electric vehicle batteries within a wider portfolio that also includes fixed electrochemical storage, pumped hydro storage, and other forms of medium- and short-duration storage. The electric vehicle fleet will not replace all other resources, but it can provide a large, distributed, and flexible layer of storage that is already connected to the grid through charging infrastructure.
The experience of the Beijing demonstration station shows how the model can work in daily life. An electric vehicle owner can plug in, let the system manage charging and discharging within a defined state-of-charge range, and earn revenue during discharge periods. The owner does not need to monitor the process continuously. The price difference between valley charging and peak discharge creates an economic incentive. The grid gains flexibility. The charging operator gains a business opportunity. The electric vehicle owner gains a return. The automaker gains a new value proposition for the vehicle. The policy system gains a tool for integrating more renewable energy and managing peak demand.
Yet the transition from a demonstration station to a national system will require more than price spreads. It will require common standards so that electric vehicle models, chargers, aggregators, and grid operators can communicate reliably. It will require data interconnection so that electric vehicle resources can be measured, verified, and compensated. It will require business models that share value fairly among electric vehicle owners, charging operators, automakers, and grid companies. It will require industrial coordination so that pilots in parks, transport corridors, and buildings can be replicated at scale. It will also require consumer trust, built on evidence that vehicle-to-grid participation can be managed without compromising electric vehicle battery life, safety, or daily driving needs.
The plan’s emphasis on smart and orderly charging is significant. Before large-scale bidirectional interaction, electric vehicle charging itself must become more orderly. Peak-valley time-of-use pricing, smart charging controls, and grid-friendly charging behavior can reduce pressure on distribution networks. Vehicle-to-grid then adds a second direction: electric vehicle batteries can discharge back to the grid when needed. The combination of orderly charging and bidirectional discharge can help address the challenge of high-power charging facilities and concentrated charging periods. It can also help distribution networks accommodate more electric vehicle adoption without requiring the same level of grid reinforcement that would otherwise be needed.
Ouyang Minggao’s assessment places the next five years as a start-up period for the vehicle-to-grid industry. The 2035 node is identified as a key point when vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may increase substantially. After 2035, the scale of vehicle-to-grid may rise rapidly. By 2040, with fixed storage growth slowing, vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may exceed 4 billion kilowatt-hours. These are projections, not current outcomes, but they show the direction of travel. The electric vehicle is being redefined from a pure electricity consumer into a mobile, distributed energy resource that can support the grid when managed through vehicle-to-grid technology.
For electric vehicle owners, the value proposition is straightforward when the conditions are right. Valley charging at 0.3349 yuan per kilowatt-hour and discharge revenue of 0.7 to 1.3 yuan per kilowatt-hour create a spread of 0.4 to 1 yuan per kilowatt-hour. A vehicle that is parked for long periods can provide storage services while still preserving a state of charge between 20 percent and 95 percent. The owner can earn revenue, offset charging costs, and maintain mobility. The battery can remain at a half-charge state for longer periods, which may be beneficial for calendar life. The system can use bidirectional pulses to improve lithium distribution and low-temperature performance when controlled within appropriate ranges. These features make the electric vehicle a more valuable asset over its life cycle.
For the power system, the value proposition is equally clear. As electric vehicle ownership rises from close to 50 million today to 110 million to 160 million by 2030, and potentially 300 million to 400 million by 2040, the grid needs flexible resources. Electric vehicle batteries can provide storage, demand response, and distributed flexibility. The plan’s target of 50 million kilowatts of aggregated adjustable charging by 2030, a 400 percent increase from 10 million kilowatts in 2025, sets a measurable goal. The projection that onboard electric vehicle battery capacity will reach 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030 and 25 billion kilowatt-hours by 2050 shows the scale of the resource. The comparison with China’s daily electricity consumption of 25 billion to 28 billion kilowatt-hours illustrates why electric vehicle batteries are viewed as a strategic emergency and flexibility resource.
For the electric vehicle industry, the shift creates new requirements and opportunities. Automakers must design vehicles and battery management systems that support bidirectional charging and discharging while protecting battery health. Charging operators must build and operate bidirectional chargers and manage electric vehicle fleets as aggregated resources. Grid companies must integrate distributed electric vehicle storage into system planning and market operations. Policymakers must improve standards, data interconnection, pricing, and market rules. Pilots in nine cities and 32 projects provide early experience, but scaling will require coordination across all these actors.
The four barriers identified by industry leaders are not isolated. Standards affect business models. Data interconnection affects user trust. Business models affect industrial coordination. User concerns affect participation rates. Solving them requires an integrated approach. Fiscal subsidies can encourage early electric vehicle user participation. Demonstration projects can verify technical feasibility. Standards development can reduce fragmentation. Carbon reduction and carbon trading models can create additional revenue streams. Time-of-use pricing and discharge price formation can align electric vehicle behavior with grid needs. Battery management can address concerns about degradation and safety.
The Beijing station offers a concrete example of how these elements can come together. The electric vehicle owner plugs in and lets the system manage the process. The charger moves electricity in both directions. The price signal rewards discharge during high-value periods. The state-of-charge range protects mobility. The owner earns revenue and offsets charging costs. The grid gains flexibility. The station is small, with nine bidirectional chargers, but it represents a model that can be replicated and expanded as standards, business models, and coordination mature.
The larger policy context is the construction of a new-type power system. By early 2030, the grid is expected to support more than 110 million electric vehicle units and to accommodate high levels of new energy. Vehicle-to-grid is identified as an important component of that system. The plan calls for core technology research, standards and management systems, smart and orderly charging, expanded large-scale applications, improved peak-valley pricing, and a sound price formation mechanism for discharging electricity to the grid. These measures are intended to guide vehicle-to-grid resources into system regulation and market trading. The electric vehicle is therefore not only a load to be managed but also a resource to be mobilized.
Yang Kun’s assessment of electricity demand adds urgency. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China’s electricity demand will continue to maintain rigid growth, with annual new electricity consumption expected to reach 600 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to adding the electricity consumption of a medium-sized economy each year. Power security supply faces new challenges. The electricity safety of electric vehicle charging is an important part of that challenge, and vehicle-to-grid must play an important role in helping the grid operate safely. Li Kang’s assessment adds a distribution-network dimension: large-scale centralized grid connection of electric vehicle fleets in public transport, heavy trucks, and logistics can easily impact distribution networks, so load management through vehicle-to-grid is needed.
The consumer dimension remains essential. The rapid development of vehicle-to-grid depends on turning the electric vehicle into a product with asset value. The battery’s remaining cycle life can be used for storage and electricity trading. In a typical case, an electric vehicle with a 70 kilowatt-hour battery pack and a 500-kilometer single-charge range can meet 10 to 15 years of family car use with about 500 cycles, leaving about 2,500 cycles from a 3,000-cycle capability before capacity decays to 70 percent. Over the full life cycle, cumulative traded electricity can approach 150,000 kilowatt-hours. As vehicle-to-grid networks expand and technology matures, more consumers can participate.
At the same time, the technical case for battery protection is important for consumer acceptance. Bidirectional pulses can make lithium distribution more uniform, inhibit lithium plating, improve fast-charging characteristics, heat the battery, and improve low-temperature performance. When the battery’s operating rate, pulse frequency, and cycle are controlled within an appropriate range, vehicle-to-grid will not accelerate battery degradation and can, to a certain extent, protect the battery. Calendar life can also benefit when the electric vehicle battery is kept at a half-charge state rather than parked for long periods at full charge. These findings help address the concern that frequent charging and discharging will harm electric vehicle battery life and safety.
The outlook is therefore one of staged growth. The next five years are described as the start-up period for the vehicle-to-grid industry. By 2030, vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may be about 100 million kilowatt-hours, based on 50 million kilowatts of interaction power and two hours of storage duration. Fixed electrochemical storage capacity may reach 2 billion kilowatt-hours, and medium- and short-duration storage demand may be about 3.6 billion kilowatt-hours, with the remaining demand mainly met by pumped hydro storage and other means. By 2035, vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may increase to 600 million kilowatt-hours, fixed electrochemical storage capacity may be about 3.4 billion kilowatt-hours, and medium- and short-duration storage demand may be about 5.4 billion kilowatt-hours. After 2035, vehicle-to-grid scale may rise rapidly. By 2040, with fixed storage growth slowing, vehicle-to-grid storage capacity may exceed 4 billion kilowatt-hours.
The electric vehicle fleet is thus moving toward a dual role. It is a means of transport, and it is a distributed energy resource. The grid is moving toward a system that can accommodate more electric vehicle charging, more renewable generation, and more bidirectional interaction. The policy framework is moving toward standards, pricing mechanisms, market participation, and large-scale demonstrations. The industry is moving toward business models that share value among electric vehicle owners, automakers, charging operators, grid companies, and government. The consumer is moving toward a model in which the electric vehicle can earn money while parked, offset charging costs, and preserve mobility.
The key question is no longer whether electric vehicle batteries can provide grid services. The demonstration station, the policy targets, the pilot projects, and the technical assessments all point to yes. The key question is how to scale the model safely, fairly, and efficiently. That requires standards and data interconnection. It requires user trust and battery protection. It requires mature business models and cross-industry coordination. It requires pricing mechanisms that reflect grid value and market rules that reward flexibility. It requires continued pilots and demonstrations to discover problems, summarize experience, and verify technical feasibility. It requires fiscal support to guide electric vehicle users to participate. It requires exploration of clean energy consumption, carbon reduction, and carbon trading models.
As electric vehicle ownership grows from close to 50 million today toward 110 million to 160 million by 2030 and 300 million to 400 million by 2040, the grid will need every available source of flexibility. The electric vehicle fleet can provide that flexibility through vehicle-to-grid interaction. Onboard electric vehicle battery capacity is projected to reach 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030 and 25 billion kilowatt-hours by 2050. China’s daily electricity consumption is about 25 billion to 28 billion kilowatt-hours. In an emergency, the stored electricity in all onboard electric vehicle batteries could roughly meet the country’s electricity demand for one day. That is the scale of the opportunity. The task now is to build the standards, markets, technology, and trust needed to turn that opportunity into routine operation.
The electric vehicle is becoming more than a vehicle. It is becoming a mobile energy asset. The grid is becoming more than a one-way supplier. It is becoming a two-way platform for electric vehicle interaction. The policy is becoming more than a support program for electric vehicle adoption. It is becoming a framework for integrating electric vehicle storage into the power system. The demonstration station in Beijing shows the first steps. The plan for the new-type power system sets the direction. The pilot projects provide experience. The technical assessments address battery-life concerns. The remaining work is to scale the model so that electric vehicle owners, automakers, charging operators, grid companies, and government can all benefit from a grid that is stable, efficient, and flexible.