Renault Group, MyWheels and We Drive Solar, in conjunction with the Dutch municipality of Utrecht, have gone live with “Utrecht Energized”, Europe’s first large-scale Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) car-sharing network.
The initiative, announced in November 2024, combines a fleet of Renault E-Tech electric vehicles with bidirectional charging technology to balance renewable energy supply and demand across a city where 35 per cent of rooftops already host solar panels.
The service is initially deploying 50 Renault 5 E-Tech cars fitted with Mobilize’s V2G chargers and We Drive Solar’s public bidirectional AC stations.
Each vehicle carries repurposed battery modules and is managed via MyWheels’ car-sharing platform.
The system enables EVs to draw clean electricity during off-peak periods and feed stored power back into the grid at peak times, helping to smooth fluctuations caused by variable solar and wind generation.
Once fully scaled to 500 cars, the network is expected to provide about 10 per cent of the flexibility required to stabilise Utrecht’s electricity grid during high-demand periods.
By repurposing used battery packs and integrating them into public infrastructure, the project extends the lifecycle of valuable battery materials and supports Renault Group’s broader second-life battery programme.
Future expansions will introduce additional Renault E-Tech models, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainable urban mobility and circular-economy principles.
Renault Group said the success of large-scale V2G deployment depends on coordinated action across manufacturers, energy companies, infrastructure providers and local authorities.
The group is calling on European policymakers to implement supportive regulations, including favourable tax treatment, revised grid-fee structures, streamlined certification processes and incentives for smart-meter roll-out.
Mobilize’s V2G solution is already in use in France with models such as the R5, Alpine A290, R4, new Megane and new Scenic, demonstrating the technology’s market readiness.
Renault Group asserts that bidirectional charging offers significant benefits, including improved grid flexibility, reduced energy costs for EV owners and a lower total cost of ownership.
According to the company, unlocking these advantages at scale will accelerate the transition to a smart, sustainable energy ecosystem in urban centres across Europe.
