He Guanghua, a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and director of the Cable Operation and Inspection Center at State Grid Wuxi Power Supply Company in Jiangsu Province, advocates for stronger interaction between new energy vehicles (NEVs) and the power grid.
“Strengthening the interaction between NEVs and the power grid can leverage the controllability of massive vehicle batteries for charging and discharging, enabling flexible source-load conversion,” said He.
He emphasized that NEVs, with their large battery capacity, can serve as “mobile energy storage,” helping to balance fluctuations in renewable energy and support the transition to a clean, low-carbon power system. However, the rapid growth of wind and solar power has put pressure on grid capacity, especially in areas with high photovoltaic adoption, leading to supply-demand imbalances. Evening peak hours pose additional challenges, as renewable output drops sharply, increasing the strain on traditional power sources. In Jiangsu, peak summer demand in 2030 is expected to reach 190 million kilowatts, further stressing power supply security.
By 2030, Jiangsu’s NEV fleet is projected to surpass 9 million units. Encouraging daytime charging in photovoltaic-rich areas could enhance local renewable energy consumption. Meanwhile, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology could provide up to 60 million kilowatts of storage during peak evening hours, easing power supply pressures and improving grid stability.
He noted that using NEVs for grid regulation is highly cost-effective, at just one-third the cost of traditional energy storage. He suggests subsidies and tax incentives to promote high-cycle NEVs, standardizing V2G functions in new models, and prioritizing long-life battery development.
To further unlock NEV-grid potential, he proposes a flexible time-of-use electricity pricing system and trading models for V2G services. A comprehensive promotion strategy — driven by government support, market incentives and public participation — would help maximize NEVs’ role in stabilizing the power grid.
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
