Honda is installing five bi-directional electric vehicle charging points at Islington Town Hall in London, in partnership with smart charging specialists, Moixa. The initiative will help Islington Council electrify its entire vehicle fleet; part of its efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.
This is the first project resulting from the collaboration between Honda and Moixa, which was announced at Geneva Motor Show in 2019. The strategic partnership forms a significant part of Honda’s Electric Vision strategy to deliver industry-leading innovation through a portfolio of energy management products and services in Europe.
The bi-directional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) chargers incorporate Moixa’s GridShare smart software, which optimises EV battery charging when grid power is cheapest and cleanest. The software can also aggregate groups of plugged-in EVs to provide battery power to the grid when it is most expensive and carbon intensive. When EVs are plugged in to all the chargers, the smart technology can provide enough energy to power the base load of Islington Town Hall.
Jorgen Pluym, Project Leader of Energy Management Honda Motor Europe, commented: “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.”
By facilitating the transition towards EVs, the Islington Town Hall project will cut carbon emissions and harmful pollution on the London borough’s roads, and the council will be able to manage its EV fleet at the town hall in real-time. The Honda / Moixa partnership’s first project demonstrates how scalable smart-charging solutions can be applied to public and private-sector organisations with large vehicle fleets, helping them contribute to a more sustainable energy management and transportation strategy.
Honda strengthened its electrification ambitions late last year, when it committed to 100% electrification of its mainstream European models by 2022, three years earlier than its previous target. Honda also revealed new global ‘e:Technology’ branding for all future electrified products in automobile, motorcycle and power product ranges. Spearheading the brand’s electrification technology is its new Honda e compact EV, and an all-new Jazz that will be available only with e:HEV hybrid technology when it launches later in 2020.
This project is part of Honda’s new energy management business in Europe that aims to promote the use of electricity generated through renewable sources including hydropower and wind farms, realising its vision for sustainable future energy supply.
