To ensure that charging electric vehicles (EVs) supports, rather than strains, the nation’s electric grids, the United States needs consumers to adopt smart charging, also known as vehicle-grid integration (VGI). This paper by World Resources Institute presents the findings of a consumer survey on VGI of prospective and current Honda EV owners in the United States.
Key Findings
- It finds that 95 percent of respondents are interested in VGI programs, mostly due to the chance to be greener, save energy, and earn a financial incentive.
- However, 94 percent of respondents are concerned with at least one feature of VGI, most commonly data privacy, battery life, and charge readiness.
- Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); lower-income people; and female respondents generally report higher levels of concern, specifically about VGI’s impact on data privacy, server control, and battery life.
- With incentives of $300 per year (for unidirectional programs) to $1,000 per year (for bidirectional programs), 80–89 percent of respondents report being interested in purchasing an EV that can participate in VGI programs.
- Despite concerns, more than 85 percent of respondents want to be notified of future opportunities to participate in VGI, indicating that with the right information, framing, and incentives, smart charging can be a promising pathway to an electrified future.
Download the report here
