The word from Renault as they work alongside partners to provide an EV hire scheme. In the future you will own nothing, just pay various subscriptions for a lifestyle, as almost anyone under 40 in London knows very well. This scheme is interesting however because a portion of the charging energy comes from solar panels on rooftops, not agricultural land – a smart move indeed.
The downside of this scheme is the small print on the cars feeding battery pack energy back into the local grid during high demand. Seems like another way to ration freedom of movement, where unelected experts decide the grid takes precedence over citizens freedom to hire a car to get to work, medical appointment, shop, collect children etc.
The whole point of car sharing is that a car is available on demand, when the user needs it, not when the local government or power company decide it’s available. Otherwise people will choose personal transport that they can actually rely on.
Renault Group, MyWheels and We Drive Solar, together with the Municipality of Utrecht, announce the go-live of Europe’s first large‑scale Vehicle‑to‑Grid (V2G) car‑sharing service: Utrecht energized. The initiative supports a more sustainable, efficient energy system in a city where 35 % of rooftops are already fitted with solar panels. Thanks to the V2G technology, electric vehicles can store energy and feed it back to the local grid during peak periods, so renewable power remains available around the clock. By combining a shared‑mobility service with advanced technology, the project keeps the local grid in balance while accelerating the transition to sustainable urban transport.
The launch of this large‑scale car‑sharing service, using the V2G technology – was announced in November 2024 and is now live. Representing a decisive step towards cleaner mobility, this initiative promotes large‑scale availability of electric shared cars while helping to balance the city’s electricity network through the pioneering bidirectional charging technology.
The Netherlands is a global leader in solar and wind-based energy deployment, and Utrecht ranks among Europe’s most progressive renewable‑energy cities, with 35 % of roofs equipped with solar panels. The use of renewables presents challenges for the grid due to their massive deployment, causing high peaks in energy supply. To manage the grid with a high proportion of renewables requires a system that quickly adapts to the changes in energy generation and consumption. This is where the V2G technology steps in to address these challenges.
The roll‑out is now live with 50 Renault 5 E‑Tech electric cars. Available via a car‑sharing service managed by MyWheels, the vehicles use V2G bidirectional charging technology developed by Mobilize, Renault Group’s brand dedicated to new mobilities. It is the first time this innovative technology has been made available for public infrastructure, provided by We Drive Solar. The 500 bidirectional cars can deliver 10 % of the flexibility required in the Utrecht region to balance solar‑ and wind‑generated electricity at peak times.
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