Nissan Follows Ford With ChargeScape Investment

A little over a year ago, Ford announced that it was teaming up with rivals BMW and Honda to create a new company called ChargeScape, which is designed to optimize the power grid. ChargeScape is intended to create a single, cost-effective platform connecting electric utilities, automakers, and interested electric vehicle customers, providing utilities with access to EV battery energy and compensating EV owners for giving them that access, as well as charging during off-peak hours. Those efforts officially got underway back in September, and now, that group has added another automaker to its list of supporters – Nissan.

Nissan has announced that it has officially entered into an agreement to invest in ChargeScape, and after that process is finished, the company will become an equal 25 percent investor in ChargeScape and will roll out the joint-venture’s services to its EV drivers across the U.S. and Canada. ChargeScape’s software wirelessly connects to EVs and manages the flow of electrons in line with real-time grid conditions, temporarily reducing demand when the grid is constrained through smart charging (V1G) and even sending energy back into the power grid when needed (V2G). EV owners can reap financial benefits by enabling services like managed charging and vehicle-to-grid export, then temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand and – eventually – having the ability to sell the energy stored in their vehicle’s battery back to the power grid.

“We are delighted to welcome Nissan to the ChargeScape joint venture,” said Joseph Vellone, ChargeScape CEO. “Nissan’s decision to join us underscores their commitment to helping customers charge more cheaply and sustainably and highlights ChargeScape’s central position in the vehicle-grid integration space.”

“ChargeScape helps us more conveniently and effectively connect utilities to EV drivers, making the ownership experience more valuable for drivers by giving them incentives for participating in managed charging and vehicle-to-grid programs,” said Kent O’Hara, president of Nissan’s 4R battery business. “Joining ChargeScape helps us contribute to a nationwide reduction in CO2 emissions by enabling utilities to use EV battery energy storage to balance peak grid demands, while optimizing the use of renewable electricity sources.”