Scania demonstrates V2G charging for electric trucks

Swedish heavy truck manufacturer Scania has demonstrated what it says is one of the world’s first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems for heavy commercial vehicles using Megawatt Charging System (MCS) technology.

The demonstration showed how battery-electric trucks could not only transport freight, but also support electricity networks through bi-directional charging and energy storage functions.

Scania says the system allows trucks to feed electricity back into the grid when parked, supporting functions such as peak shaving, grid balancing and renewable energy management.

As heavy transport electrification accelerates, Scania says large-scale truck charging will place increasing pressure on local electricity networks and grid infrastructure.

At the same time, battery-electric trucks represent significant mobile energy storage capacity that can be used to support the wider power system.

“Electric trucks will not only consume electricity, they can also become an active resource in the energy system,” Scania transformation and new business global manager Tobias Ejderhamn says.

“This shift transforms the fleet operator’s role from solely providing transport services to also offering energy flexibility.”

The project used the new Megawatt Charging System standard, designed for ultra-fast charging of heavy electric trucks and future long-distance electric freight operations.

Scania says the demonstration reached charging outputs of up to 1000A and 750kW.

The system enables real-time communication between the truck, charging equipment and energy management systems, allowing charging and discharging to be dynamically managed based on transport requirements and electricity grid conditions.

“What makes this significant is not only the bi-directional energy flow itself, but the ability to combine megawatt charging with intelligent energy management,” Traton Group charging product manager Yorben Muller says.

“To our knowledge, this is one of the world’s first demonstrations of vehicle-to-grid functionality using MCS for heavy commercial vehicles.”

Muller says the system creates the foundation for heavy electric vehicles to become active and controllable assets within the wider energy network.

Scania says the technology could help fleet operators reduce energy costs, improve utilisation of depot solar generation, support grid stability and potentially participate in future electricity balancing markets.

The company says vehicle-to-grid technology could also improve the business case for electric trucks by creating additional revenue and energy management opportunities.

“The ability to combine high-power charging with intelligent and secure energy management could also strengthen the business case for battery electric trucks by creating new ways for fleet operators to optimise energy usage and lower their operational costs,” Ejderhamn says.

Initially, Scania expects the technology to be most useful in depot charging environments where trucks remain parked for extended periods and charging can be managed around grid demand and electricity pricing.

The demonstrated system supports:

• Bi-directional charging and discharging through MCS
• Real-time communication between vehicle, charger and energy management systems
• Backend-controlled energy management
• Integration with external charging and energy management systems
• Bi-directional energy flow through the charging interface