In the pursuit of achieving true widespread EV adoption, new EV technologies are benefitting from enormous research and development efforts. While much of this effort is going toward extending the driving range, the EVs of the future will benefit from much more than just innovative battery and charging technologies.
Specifically, one of the most exciting value propositions of future EVs is the number of different connectivity technologies they will feature. This connectivity, called vehicle-to-everything (V2X), features technologies like vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-network (V2N), which are already in use. It also features emerging technologies like vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) that will shape the future of how EVs work.
This article discusses the present and the future of EV connectivity and how it will shape the industry moving forward.
One form of vehicle connectivity that has recently made its way into production EVs is V2G connectivity.
V2G connectivity refers to the ability of an EV to allow for the flow of electricity both from the grid to the vehicle and from the vehicle to the grid. The concept here is that the batteries in EVs, which are relatively large, can act as more than just an energy source for the vehicle. They can also store energy for use in the grid and the home (V2H).
From a hardware perspective, V2G connectivity relies on power electronics technology called bidirectional charging. Bidirectional charging in an EV requires a combination of well-designed power conversion and control circuitry that can allow conversion between the grid’s AC and the battery’s DC.
The benefits of V2G are considerable for both the vehicle owner and the grid.
For the owner, the benefit is the ability to use your EV as not just a vehicle but a backup generator for a home if a blackout or other disaster occurs. On top of this, the vehicle owner can offset costs by selling excess energy in their EV back to the grid.
From a grid-infrastructure perspective, V2G technology can offload some of the stress on the grid by having the EV sell back some of its stored energy when the grid is at peak demand. When demand is lower or nearby renewable energy generation is higher, the EV can recharge itself.
V2G technology is still considered rare in vehicles on the market today, but it is gaining momentum as it is introduced in new EV offerings like the all-electric Ford F-150.
Following V2G connectivity, V2N connectivity is an extremely valuable emerging EV technology.
V2N, another form of EV connectivity, refers to a vehicle’s ability to become a connected part of the internet, able to communicate with anything else on the network. In the context of EVs, this kind of connectivity generally refers to a vehicle’s connectivity with the manufacturer’s internal network and cloud services. With V2N connectivity, a vehicle can be closely monitored, analyzed, and dynamically updated to ensure maximal performance.
One use case is companies using V2N connectivity to extract performance-related information from their vehicles to learn about metrics like energy throughput, battery charge cycles, and range. By taking this feedback from all their connected vehicles on the V2N network, an EV manufacturer can perform statistical analysis on the vehicles to understand how their vehicles operate in real-world conditions, better allowing them to improve performance.
From here, V2N-connected vehicles can receive over-the-air updates to their software and firmware, which introduce performance improvements to the vehicle. Even further, EV companies can use this information to inform hardware changes in future models of their EVs, allowing for the best performance possible.
One company that does this is Tesla. It frequently releases over-the-air updates concerning its autopilot features as well as other general performance functionality. In this way, V2N is an important emerging technology because it ensures the best possible performance of EVs both in the current generation and generations moving forward.
The form of V2X that is currently furthest from reality, but poised to have the biggest impact on EVs, is V2V connectivity.
V2V connectivity is a form of EV connectivity defining the intercommunication of all connected vehicles on the road. With V2V, vehicles could wirelessly communicate information with one another about speed, position, road conditions, and other driving information. The goal of V2V connectivity is to enable vehicles to have complete awareness of every other vehicle on the road to avoid unsafe and undesirable situations, such as crashes and traffic congestion. Further, V2V-enabled vehicles could use real-time road and traffic conditions to achieve the optimal path to their destination, saving the driver time, energy, and money.
The exciting part about V2V is that it may not be as distant from reality as it sounds. From a technology perspective, many believe that we currently have the infrastructure necessary to achieve V2V thanks to technologies like 5G and cloud connectivity. Some of the largest roadblocks to adopting V2V are security and geopolitical challenges.
One challenge is that governments are often slow to adapt to changes in technology, especially ones with this much potential impact. Before V2V can achieve widespread adoption, legislation is necessary on a federal level to ensure that V2V would be used in a way that is safe and reliable and that fits within the confines of the law. Further, addressing challenges like cybersecurity is paramount to ensuring safe V2V performance. With vehicles connected to one
another on a shared network, hacking is a concern. One scenario involves adversaries being able to steal personal or property information from the vehicles and their users. Even more detrimental, hackers could potentially gain control of vehicles and create unsafe road conditions for all vehicles on the road.
While there are challenges to be solved, V2V still represents a transformative technology that could revolutionize the ways vehicles operate and interact.
Twenty-five to 30 years ago, it was unimaginable that phones would take on so much more functionality and become such important aspects of our lives.
Today, we are at that same crossroads with EVs. V2X technology is breathing new life into EVs and equipping them with much more than driving capabilities.
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