Wallbox, Bidirectional Energy selected by CEC to deploy V2X chargers across California

Wallbox, a provider in electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions, announced a partnership with Bidirectional Energy, a bidirectional EV energy management software platform, that has resulted in both companies being selected to receive significant funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC) Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals (REDWDS) grant. The companies, according to the recent press release, plan to offer Wallbox’s second-generation DC bidirectional charger, Quasar 2, with the Bidirectional Energy EV charger management platform, starting in the first half of 2024.

The CEC Clean Transportation Program provides up to $100 million in annual funding to support, accelerate the development and deployment of advanced transportation and fuel technologies throughout the state, the organization notes. The REDWDS grant accelerates the development and deployment of easy-to-use charging products, which helps customers manage EV charging and respond to dynamic grid signals.

Through the Bidirectional Energy platform, EV owners can potentially save money on their monthly utility bill as well as benefit from various utilities’ vehicle-to-grid programs, all while their EV is parked at home. The V2X (vehicle-to-everything) system, according to the press release, can also keep the lights on when the grid goes down, providing extra resilience to homeowners. If the project is successful, the companies state that additional funding will be made available through a second phase to continue deploying bidirectional chargers across California for an additional three years.

In July this year, Wallbox was selected to join the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Memorandum of Understanding as part of its latest round of signatories. The collaboration brings together resources from the DOE, DOE national labs, state and local governments, utilities and private entities to evaluate and accelerate technical and economic feasibility of vehicle-grid integration (VGI), including bidirectional charging, into energy infrastructure.