Islington Council in London has embarked on a 12-month project with Honda and smart battery and charging software specialist Moixa to optimise its vehicle fleet through vehicle-to-grid technology.

The chargers will be integrated with five rooftop solar and storage systems via a PV inverter at domestic properties close by, to ensure the vehicles are charged with clean, locally generated power

The council is working on electrifying its entire 500-plus fleet, cutting 1,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year and meeting its 2030 net-zero carbon emissions target, established when the council declared a climate emergency. Turning to EVs would also ensure compliance with Islington’s cross-borough Ultra Low Emissions Streets scheme as well as the wider ULEZ in London.

The project – which follows last year’s announcement by Honda and Moixa of their new pan-European smart charging partnership – will see five bi-directional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) chargers, manufactured by EVTEC and jointly developed with Honda, installed with Moixa’s GridShare software outside Islington Town Hall. The system charges the EV batteries when power on the local network is cheapest and cleanest and discharges power from the car batteries when it is most expensive and carbon intensive. By plugging in EVs to all of five chargers, the smart technology can provide enough power to cover the whole town hall base load, while aiding local network operator UK Power Networks by reducing the need for grid upgrades in the future.

Islington Council will also be able to manage its EV fleet at the town hall in real-time through Moixa’s GridShare platform.  

Chris Wright, Moixa’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “The EV revolution will put millions of ‘batteries on wheels’ on our roads in the next decade. By using AI-driven charging technology, we can intelligently manage these fleets of batteries, securing lowest-cost charging and highest-impact carbon savings. Our project with Honda and Islington shows what is possible and provides a blueprint for all large organisations to follow.”

The hope is that the project will act as a pioneer for others to follow. The scalable smart charging solution could easily be deployed by all local authorities as well as businesses with large vehicle fleets. Research published last month by Auto Express found 91.6% of vehicles among 320 local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are diesel, with some 62 council fleets consisting entirely of diesel vehicles.

Jorgen Pluym, project leader of energy management, Honda Motor Europe, said: “As the shift towards electrification accelerates, we must continue to innovate with projects like these – helping to drive awareness and uptake of charging solutions and advanced vehicle-to-grid technologies. Honda is committed to promoting sustainable future energy management in Europe, and this project in Islington represents an important part of our vision for future energy solutions.”