How will the bi-directional charging of the Renault R5 Electric help you save money ?

The Renault R5 Electric will be the first Renault car to offer bi-directional charging, thanks to the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) functions. This feature will help you save during charging.

Set to arrive at dealerships in 2024, the Renault R5 Electric is gradually revealing its specifications. Earlier this spring, Renault shared information about its CMF-BEV platform. Today, we’re learning more about charging. Renault confirms that the compact car will be the brand’s first electric vehicle equipped with an integrated bi-directional charger.

This charger will allow electricity to flow in both directions: of course, from the grid to the battery to charge the vehicle, but also from the car to the grid or to the home. As a result, the R5 becomes an energy reserve and a power source. This integrated bi-directional charger will be paired with a new charging station called the Mobilize Powerbox, an alternating current bi-directional charger offering power levels from 7 to 22 kW.

This technical setup will be complemented by the Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) service, which enables the transfer of energy from the vehicle to the electrical grid. Mobilize, the Renault Group’s brand dedicated to new forms of mobility, will also offer a tailored electricity contract in partnership with The Mobility House.

Thanks to this contract and the V2G functionality, the idea is to charge the car when electricity is abundant and therefore cheaper, or to release the stored energy from the battery to the home, or even sell it on the energy market when electricity prices are high.

To avoid any surprises when retrieving the vehicle, a smartphone application will allow easy programming of this bi-directional charging. Simply specify the departure time and desired charge level at that time, and the service will take care of the rest.

With this dynamic charging management, including the ability to charge and sell energy, Renault promises to halve the cost of charging. The aim of Renault is to achieve “free” energy for every other kilometer driven.