Denbighshire County Council has installed a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capable alternating current (AC) EV charger at its fleet depot, claiming one of the first installations of its kind in the UK. The installation is part of the V2VNY (Vehicle 2 Volume eNergy Yield) project, which trials lower cost V2G chargers using AC technology, generally more affordable and suited for workplace or home use.
Unlike DC rapid chargers, which are commonly found at public chargepoints, AC chargers use grid-standard electricity, converted by the EV’s onboard charger to direct current (DC) for battery storage. This typically results in slower charging, but is more cost-effective and practical for fleets and businesses.
The V2VNY project is led by Hangar19, an independent UK engineering company specialising in EV supply equipment, in partnership with CrowdCharge and DriveElectric. Hangar19 is providing its multi-socket AC bidirectional charger, which it claims is the first of its kind on the market.
Other project partners include:
The V2VNY initiative aims to demonstrate a commercially viable model for fleet owners, businesses, and EV drivers to reduce energy costs and grid dependency using bidirectional charging. V2G allows stored electricity in EV batteries to be fed back to the grid during peak demand, supporting renewable integration and grid flexibility.
Denbighshire County Council’s Fleet Services Centre is already powered by onsite solar PV, with energy stored in a battery energy storage system (BESS). Now, the centre adds a Kia EV6 with vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability to its 100+ EV fleet. The EV6 has reportedly performed “faultlessly,” and has even charged other EVs using V2L.
“The scheme offers the council the potential to reduce reliance on the grid even further,” said Martin Griffiths, Fleet Mobility Lead Officer. “It provides greater resilience if there was a problem with the UK’s electricity network.”
Traditionally, V2G trials have used DC charging standards, such as CHAdeMO (used by Nissan LEAF). However, as more EVs are built to use Combined Charging System (CCS)—supporting both AC and DC—the industry is shifting. V2VNY’s AC-based bidirectional charging is not only more cost-effective, but also more efficient at lower power, making it ideal for homes and workplaces.
The project is part of Phase 2 of the V2X Innovation Programme, which sits within the £65 million Flexibility Innovation Programme, funded from the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Innovate UK.
The V2VNY project first received government funding in December 2023 to demonstrate its three-socket bidirectional AC charger.