- Oncor collaboration marks Toyota's first utility agreement for
EV charging
- Research to focus on customer and grid benefits from
vehicle-to-grid
- Aim of both companies is to offer a seamless electrified
mobility customer experience
PLANO,
Texas, Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor
North America (Toyota) and Oncor Electric Delivery (Oncor), a
Texas-based electric transmission
and distribution company, have agreed to collaborate on a pilot
project around vehicle-to-grid (V2G), a technology that allows
vehicles to flow energy from their battery back onto the electric
grid. The effort will be led by Toyota's Electric Vehicle Charging
Solutions (EVCS) team, marking an important first collaboration
with a public utility for Toyota in the U.S. around Battery
Electric Vehicles (BEVs).
The results from the research will allow Toyota and Oncor to be
better prepared to support the broader EV charging ecosystem in
the United States. Further, these
efforts will allow Toyota to elevate the customer experience for
Toyota BEV customers, accelerate efforts in carbon neutrality and
provide advances in business opportunities.
"We envision a future where Toyota BEVs provide a best-in-class
mobility experience, but also can be utilized by our customer to
power their homes, their communities or even power back the
electric grid in times of need," said Christopher Yang, group vice president of Toyota
Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions team. "Our collaboration with
Oncor is an important step for us to understand the needs of
utilities, as we plan to work closely with them to ensure every
community can embrace Toyota's shift to electrified
vehicles."
"Electrification is coming, and it's Oncor's job to build a
safer, smarter, more reliable electric grid that can enable the
needs of our customers, the state of Texas and the ERCOT market. This project marks
the first collaboration of its kind between Oncor and an OEM
manufacturer, and we are excited to work with a world-class
technology leader like Toyota to better understand how the electric
grid can enable V2G transactions across the Oncor service
territory," said Jim Greer, Oncor
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "We
appreciate Toyota's collaboration in pursuing innovative energy
solutions through this endeavor, and we look forward to someday
implementing the lessons learned from this pilot project in benefit
of the many communities we serve."
Initially, the two companies have agreed to a research project
that will use Oncor's research and testing microgrid at its System
Operating Services Facility (SOSF) in south Dallas, located just south of Toyota's nearby
national headquarters. The SOSF microgrid is composed of four
interconnected microgrids that can be controlled independently, but
also operated in parallel, tandem or combined into a single, larger
system. The microgrid and its subsystems also include a "V2G"
charger, solar panels and battery storage for testing and
evaluation. Toyota and Oncor plan to use a BEV along with the
system to better understand the interconnectivity between BEVs and
utilities.
Beyond this initial phase, a second phase of the project slated
for 2023 will include a V2G pilot where testing will be conducted
with BEVs connected at homes or businesses within Oncor's service
territory, pursuant to all standard interconnection processes and
agreements.
The collaboration will help provide both Oncor and Toyota
insight into the current and future needs of its customers.
Furthermore, it will provide Oncor with additional insight into the
infrastructure needed to enable the rapid growth of electric
vehicles and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, meet their
needs and support electric vehicles and better understand the
impact of V2G on the electric grid.
Toyota's first mass-market BEV, the bZ4X, went on sale this past
year in the U.S. and Canada. The
first Lexus BEV, the RZ 450e, is scheduled to go on sale in early
2023.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the
U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing
sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus
brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 39,000 people in the U.S. who
have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly
32 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By
2025, Toyota's 10th plant in North
Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for
electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the
road than any other automaker, a quarter of the company's 2021 U.S.
sales were electrified.
To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based
fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education
hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and chance
to virtually visit many of our U.S. manufacturing facilities. The
hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and
curriculum through Toyota USA
Foundation partners, virtual field trips and more. For more
information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
About Oncor
Headquartered in Dallas, Oncor
Electric Delivery Company LLC is a regulated electricity
distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset
management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to
consumers. Oncor (together with its subsidiaries) operates the
largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, delivering power to more than 3.8
million homes and businesses and operating more than 140,000 miles
of transmission and distribution lines in Texas. While Oncor is owned by two investors
(indirect majority owner, Sempra, and minority owner, Texas
Transmission Investment LLC), Oncor is managed by its Board of
Directors, which is comprised of a majority of disinterested
directors.
Toyota Media Contact:
Josh Burns
Joshua.Burns@Toyota.com
Oncor Media Contact:
24/7 Media Hotline
877-426-1616
For Toyota customer inquiries, please call
800-331-4331.
For Oncor customer inquiries, please call
888.313.6862.
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America