Through a new collaboration between EnergyHub and Toyota Motor North America, Toyota and Lexus drivers will now have access to EnergyHub’s platform, allowing for reduced EV charging costs and supporting utilities as they work to ensure grid reliability and accelerate electrification.
EnergyHub’s platform allows for access to a variety of EV programs, such as charging management, off-peak rebates, and data programs that may help with infrastructure planning. With this new partnership, the companies aim to overall improve the driving experience for EV owners -- the platform provides them with access to rebates that may offset the cost of installing a charger, as well as initiatives for participating in vehicle-to-grid programs.
With many auto companies incorporating bidirectional charging features into new EVS, owners may use their vehicles as a source of backup power or to earn money by delivering power to the grid during peak demand.
“Empowering our Toyota and Lexus EV customers with cost-effective energy solutions that reduce emissions and contribute to the grid underscores Toyota’s commitment to sustainable mobility,” said James George, general manager of EV Charging Solutions at Toyota. “Our collaboration with EnergyHub is an important step forward in enabling an exceptional customer experience within a home energy ecosystem.”
EnergyHub is currently the largest distributed energy resource management firm in North America, and the company continues to expand its partnerships with EV supply equipment and original equipment manufacturers to benefit EV owners and utilities.
According to a recent survey by Escalent, most vehicle shoppers are unaware of the energy-storing capabilities of EVs. Vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid technologies allow for EVs to be used as an additional power source in the case of outages and to receive compensation from utility providers for returning energy to the grid when the vehicle is not in use.
Once surveyed consumers were made aware of these capabilities, however, many expressed increased interest in purchasing an EV. Connection to EnergyHub’s platform may make consumers more aware of the benefits of EV ownership beyond the emissions reductions made possible by the technology.
Potomac Edison has become the first of Energy Hub’s utility clients to allow customers to enroll Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the platform, and the company is also expanding participation to additional utilities this year.