Honda will present its all-new Power Manager, a fully-integrated energy transfer system, at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show on 12 September.
The system is designed to incorporate electric vehicles into a smart power grid. It enables the collection and distribution of electricity between the grid, homes and businesses and electric vehicles, to intelligently balance demand and efficient storage of energy. Honda will apply its Power Manager technology as part of a smart grid pilot scheme in the west of France.
Philip Ross, Senior Vice President of Honda Motor Europe, said: “We will incorporate electrified drivelines in two thirds of cars sold in the region by 2025. The introduction of our Power Manager system supports and reinforces our commitment. It uses advanced technology to intelligently integrate the electric vehicle into the wider power network, so it is no longer just a consumer but also a contributor to the grid. It underlines our pledge to develop a more sustainable mobility model.”
Balancing electricity supply, storage and demand
Power Manager works by aggregating and distributing energy to and from the grid, solar panel-equipped homes or workplaces, and electric vehicles.
Electricity is received into the system from the grid or is generated by the solar panels and can be used to power and heat the building as well as to charge the EV. While the EV is plugged in, the energy can be stored and used at home or sold back to the grid, potentially generating value for EV owners.
The Power Manager system can help to stabilise the grid at times of either short or surplus supply, as well as representing a revenue opportunity for EV owners.
Pilot smart grid scheme in France
Honda Motor Europe will supply Power Manager units to the SMILE project (Smart Ideas to Link Energies) in a smart grid pilot scheme.
The pilot project will see solar panels and Honda Power Managers installed to create a smart power grid, where energy can be used to charge EVs, power the buildings, and feed electricity back into the grid when required.
The SMILE project, backed by the French Ministries of Industry and Energy, is operating 17 interconnecting projects with the aim of creating a large smart power grid in western France by 2019.
Honda’s development of Power Manager underlines its commitment and ambition in the area of electrification.
