Undoubtedly the most anticipated car of the coming months with its launch next year, the electric Renault 5 is once again making headlines thanks to some interesting technology. In effect, the little French will be the first model of the brand to use V2G (Vehicle-To-Grid) technology.

In practice, the car can be charged using a home Wallbox, and the entire house can be re-energized thanks to the Mobilize V2G service. This technology will be available in France, Germany and, from 2025, in Great Britain.

Both the car and the generator?

Renault 5 will be equipped with a bidirectional charging device, a special architecture consisting of a hardware part (for example, electrical components with built-in reverse) and a software part that takes responsibility for managing the energy flow. This technology is required to use this solution, so all cars that want to feed energy back into the grid must be equipped with it.

The Mobilize Powerbox, a two-way charging station developed in collaboration with the Software Republique team, can be purchased at the same time as the car. Attached is the Mobilize Electricity Supply Contract provided by The Mobility House, which allows you to use only low-carbon energy and generate income from energy fed back into the grid.

In addition, the smartphone application will allow you to schedule charging by setting the start time and battery level. The cost of the V2G wallbox will be similar to the cost of a regular model, and the domestic electrical infrastructure will not require any changes. However, specific operations may differ from country to country due to the lack of European regulations and standardized industry standards.

How does V2G technology work?

In practice, Renault can interrupt charging during peak hours (when the cost of electricity is highest) and to power the rest of the house. Conversely, when there is enough electricity in the network, the car is charged.

In addition, the Renault 5 can directly power some external devices, such as an electric barbecue or a vacuum cleaner for cleaning the interior of the car. All this thanks to a special adapter developed by Renault that allows you to connect it to the car’s charging socket. Thus, a small French car can provide energy equivalent to a normal 220 volt outlet.