Going both ways: Toyota, Pepco work together on EV chargers that replenish cars and the grid

Toyota and Pepco are working to create an electric vehicle charger that replenishes the car’s battery while sending power back into the local energy grid.
The automaker and the regional utility company have announced that they are conducting “vehicle-to-grid” research for battery electric vehicles at Pepco’s Watershed Sustainability Center in Rockville.

How does it work? When an electric vehicle is being charged, the energy stored in its battery can be directed into the grid, researchers say. A bidirectional charger can tap into the back-and-forth flow of electricity between the car and the charger and deliver energy to the grid.

Not just any car …