Owning an electric vehicle has long been an excellent way to live a greener lifestyle, and the fact that you can charge your vehicle at home is incredibly convenient. Now, a relatively new technology is set to redefine EV ownership in a big way.
This new technology is called bi-directional charging or bi-directional power. While it has been in development since the mid-2000s, it has only now begun to reach the mass market. As its name implies, it is EV charging that goes two ways. Most EV charging stations are unidirectional, meaning they only operate in one way. When a vehicle is plugged into the charger, alternating current (AC) electricity from the power grid is converted into direct current (DC) electricity that can be used by the vehicle. With bi-directional charging, DC electricity stored in the vehicle can be converted back into AC electricity and sent back to the local power grid or the EV owner's home.
Benefits of Bi-Directional Charging
There are a couple of notable benefits of bi-directional EV charging. First of all, it can help save you money on your monthly electricity bill. You will still use electricity to charge your vehicle, but at least some of that electricity will be used to power your home, making it more self-sufficient and less reliant on your city's power grid. Second, a bi-directional charger can actually generate income by selling excess electricity back to the local power grid.
Bi-directional charging is still relatively new, but it is poised to transform EV ownership for the better as it becomes more widespread. If you're interested in this new technology or if you're in the market for a new electric vehicle of your own, contact Berkshire Hathaway Automotive today to learn more.