Groupe Renault, which claims to be Europe's top manufacturer of electric vehicles, has announced the creation of Renault Energy Services.
The automaker said the new subsidiary would have an active presence in the energy and smart grid sectors, both of which are fundamental to the expansion of electric mobility.
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It would function much like a start-up with the objective of investing in smart grid related projects by forging ties with the energy industry's various stakeholders.
It would focus mainly on development of smart charging, vehicle to grid interaction and second life batteries.
Gilles Normand, SVP, electric vehicles, Renault said: "The creation of Renault Energy Services marks an important step forward. Investing in smart grids is key to both reinforcing the lead we enjoy in the European electric vehicle market and accelerating the EV industry's scale-up."
Groupe Renault intends to make a real contribution to the expansion of smart charging networks which, by facilitating the communication of data, are capable of making real time adjustments to the supply of electricity for more efficient management of resources. Electric vehicles connected to smart grids will benefit from more economical, lower carbon electricity.
In addition to permitting the development of smart charging, smart grids favour both interaction between electric vehicles and networks (vehicle to grid) and projects involving second life batteries.
Smart charging adjusts battery charging rates as a function of customers' needs and the availability of electricity via the grid. Batteries are charged when supply exceeds demand, notably during renewable energy production peaks and when rates are at their cheapest.
In vehicle to grid systems, electric vehicles provide electricity to the grid during peak hours. In this way, they benefit from the advantages of smart charging but also serve as a means to temporarily store energy.
Even once their life as a power source for electric vehicles is over, EV batteries continue to be capable of storing a significant amount of energy, notably for the purposes of stationary energy storage.
