In a landmark move that may reshape the future of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in the UK, Denbighshire County Council has become one of the first organisations to install an innovative vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric vehicle charger powered by alternating current (AC) at its fleet depot. The installation forms part of the V2VNY (Vehicle 2 Volume eNergy Yield) project, a cutting-edge trial exploring the next generation of V2G charging technology.
Traditionally reliant on more expensive direct current (DC) chargers, V2G systems have been largely confined to niche applications or vehicles with CHAdeMO compatibility. However, the V2VNY initiative, led by independent EV engineering specialist Hangar19, in collaboration with partners including CrowdCharge, DriveElectric, and JLR, is putting AC bi-directional charging at the forefront of sustainable energy innovation.
AC Charging: A Smarter, Cheaper Solution
The key advancement in the V2VNY trial lies in the use of AC bi-directional chargers, which offer significant advantages over their DC counterparts—namely, lower costs, greater suitability for home and workplace environments, and improved compatibility with the majority of modern EVs using the CCS charging standard. Hangar19, a leader in EV supply equipment, has developed the first multi-socket AC bi-directional charger, capable of synchronising seamlessly with the grid.
By allowing EVs not only to draw power from the grid but also to send it back, the V2G system enhances energy flexibility and opens the door to substantial savings on energy costs. Moreover, it supports the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, decentralised energy system by enabling mobile battery storage to reinforce the grid, especially during periods of peak demand.
A Visionary Council Leading by Example
With a growing reputation for progressive environmental strategies, Denbighshire County Council is embracing V2G as part of a holistic approach to decarbonisation. Its Fleet Services Centre, which already operates more than 100 EVs—ranging from electric vans and refuse trucks to 16-seat minibuses—has integrated V2G with on-site solar generation and battery storage, creating a smart local energy ecosystem.
“Vehicle to grid charging, combined with a fleet of EVs, solar generation and battery storage, offers us the potential to reduce reliance on the grid even further, providing greater resilience if there was a problem with the UK’s electricity network,” said Martin Griffiths, Fleet Mobility Lead Officer at Denbighshire County Council. “V2G is also expected to deliver savings on energy costs, as well as reducing carbon emissions.”
The Council’s Kia EV6, a vehicle praised for its reliability and versatility, is playing a central role in the trial. Already equipped with Vehicle to Load (V2L) capability, the EV6 has even demonstrated the ability to charge other EVs, underscoring the flexibility of modern electric vehicles in a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) framework.
Setting a Precedent for Public Sector Innovation
Denbighshire’s involvement has not gone unnoticed. The V2VNY trial has attracted widespread interest from other local authorities and government bodies, with similar V2G chargers already deployed in East Lothian, Islington, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire.
“As a Council, we are working extremely hard to address the climate and nature emergency we declared in 2019,” said Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport. “We fully welcome the opportunity to have such an innovative system installed at our fleet depot and look forward to seeing its impact on conserving energy use at the site.”
A National Opportunity
With over 1.4 million EVs now on UK roads and numbers growing rapidly, the potential for V2G to contribute to national energy resilience is enormous. If EVs are charged during low-demand periods and feed electricity back into the grid at peak times, both cost and carbon emissions can be significantly reduced.
The V2VNY project, part of Phase 2 of the V2X Innovation Programme, is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and delivered by Innovate UK. As part of the broader £65 million Flexibility Innovation Programme, this initiative supports technologies that help balance demand on the grid and accelerate the transition to Net Zero.
Backed by AI-driven optimisation from CrowdCharge, and supported by JLR’s prototype EVs, the V2VNY trial is poised to demonstrate how fleets, businesses, and individuals can unlock the full value of EV ownership—not just through cleaner transport, but by becoming active participants in a smarter, more resilient energy system.
