Nissan has joined BMW, Ford, and Honda in the ChargeScape V2G venture

One month after OEMs BMW, Ford, and Honda announced a new joint venture focused on electric vehicle and grid integration called ChargeScape, now Nissan has joined. The Japanese automaker will participate in the joint venture and begin offering charging solutions to customers.

ChargeScape is a new joint venture originally created, owned, and operated by Ford, BMW, and Honda. The business focuses on a software platform dedicated to home EV charging solutions, especially vehicle-to-grid capabilities. According to the company:

The ChargeScape software connects wirelessly to electric vehicles and controls the flow of electrons according to real-time grid conditions, temporarily reducing demand when the grid is blocked with smart charging (V1G) and using energy to feed back into the power grid when needed (V2G). By providing a single platform for energy utilities, vehicle manufacturers and their customers, ChargeScape navigates the complexity of integrating the electric vehicle grid.

Now, less than a month after the initial announcement that ChargeScape was founded and named its first CEO, Nissan has joined the joint venture as a fourth partner.

Nissan takes a 25% stake in the ChargeScape joint venture

The Japanese automaker shared details of its new investment in ChargeScape today, which, once completed, will make it a 25% partner in the joint venture alongside BMW, Ford, and Honda.

Once the project is complete, Nissan will begin rolling out ChargeScape services to its EV drivers across the US and Canada. Soon, Nissan will be able to offer its EV drivers the ability to save energy using ChargeScape's backend software.

For example, EV owners will be able to temporarily pause charging periods during periods of peak demand and pending permits, eventually being able to sell their vehicle's stored energy back to their local power grid for benefits. Kent O'Hara, president of Nissan's 4R battery business, elaborates:

ChargeScape helps us connect services in a simple and efficient way for EV drivers, making the ownership experience more valuable for drivers by offering them incentives to participate in managed charging and moto-to-grid programs. Joining ChargeScape helps us contribute to nationwide reductions in CO2 emissions by allowing utilities to use EV battery energy storage to balance peak grid demands, while promoting the use of renewable energy sources.”

Nissan shared that ChargeScape's ability to open up more car-to-grid services will also help grid operators avoid relying on expensive and polluting “peak plants” when the grid is overloaded.

The new joint venture is developing and deploying “virtual energy plants” in California, Texas, and other markets. According to a press release, the original four partners expect more automakers beyond Nissan to join “in the coming months.”