Linux Foundation Energy EVerest Project Joins Task 53 of the International Energy Agency

Bidirectional EV charging, or Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), plays an essential role in the decarbonization of the electricity sector. But there are still hurdles to overcome, e.g. lack of standardization and insufficient interoperability. To improve interoperability of bidirectional charging, the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technology Collaboration Programme (HEV TCP) by the International Energy Agency (IEA) launched Task 53. In line with this goal, the Linux Foundation Energy (LF Energy) EVerest Project is partnering with Task 53. 

Bidirectional charging enables energy to flow two ways: From the grid into an electric vehicle (EV) and from the EV into the grid. All vehicle manufacturers are interested in bidirectional charging, although the biggest obstacles for unfolding its full potential are non-interoperable protocols and hundreds of grid codes.

One of Task 53’s key activities will be testing the conformance of the upcoming ISO15118-2X amendments referring to bidirectional charging. LF Energy EVerest can support this with expertise in establishing universal open source charger firmware supporting all relevant industry standards, including variations. This collaboration has two main objectives:

• Ensure interoperability between bidirectional charging stations and vehicles.
• Ensure interoperability between bidirectional charging stations and distribution grids.

Today, each car or charging station manufacturer develops their own proprietary solutions. This leads to major challenges, as charging stations and EVs cannot easily be mixed, they are not typically interoperable. On top of that, there are specific adaptations in different parts of the world. For example, most EU-based manufacturers rely on DC for bidirectional charging stations because of the 3-phase network and the corresponding grid codes. The situation is similar in Japan, albeit for different reasons, including historical CHAdeMO standards.

In the US, the situation is different. Here, manufacturers are tied to using single-phase, on-board bidirectional chargers due to the grid design. China has not yet decided how bidirectional charging will be implemented, though it is expected that China’s technical standard system for V2G interaction will be defined by 2025.

As a result of this fragmentation, global manufacturers must develop region-specific solutions. The lack of standardization has negative effects not only for companies, but also the entire ecosystem:

• Prevents economies of scale
• Prevents market competition
• Prevents price reductions for bidirectional charging stations
• Prevents the widespread adoption of V2X technologies

Both the EVerest project and Task 53 are working to remove those hurdles and increase interoperability: EVerest by implementing a universal open source charger firmware covering all relevant standards and their variations, and Task 53 by organizing cross-system interoperability testing. These approaches strongly complement each other, and further collaboration will provide tremendous interoperability benefits.

“EVs hold the promise of providing impactful grid services, however significant roadblocks remain, particularly around interoperability of EVs and charging stations. We can only realize the potential of EVs as distributed grid assets if they can be easily and safely coordinated,” said LF Energy Executive Director Alex Thornton. “The partnership between Task53 and LF Energy EVerest will provide a collaborative, open, neutral venue to address these challenges and accelerate development of interoperable charging and V2G infrastructure.”

Marco Piffaretti, Operating Agent at Task 53: “We are very happy that LF Energy Everest has joined Task 53. EVerest is a great open source project. We appreciate that this open approach brings in new knowledge, new points of view and new ideas. In addition, the EVerest community can now benefit from Task 53's favorable terms for services, such as interoperability testing in Europe and the US.”

Task 53 | https://task53.org/

LF Energy | https://www.lfenergy.org  

LF Energy EVerest | https://lfenergy.org/projects/everest/