Electric vehicle technology could help lower Aussies' power bills
A technology revolution could lower energy bills in households across Australia.
Electric cars, which can be used as powerful batteries, are helping some residents keep the lights on for less.
Winemaker Joseph Evans was the first person in South Australia to make the switch to a next-generation electric vehicle.
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Electric cars, which can be used as powerful batteries, are helping some residents in South Australia keep the lights on for less. 9News
Evans uses solar power to charge it during the day and then at night it powers his home and business.
"It is pretty much a saving of $2500 a year," Evans said.
"In the middle of summer or the middle of winter, you've got the aircon cranking, it'll last us two days."
Experts at Flinders University are working to fine-tune vehicle-to-grid technology, which has the backing of the government.
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Barossa winemaker Joseph Evans was the first person in the state to make the switch to a next-generation electric vehicle. 9News
"These cars are four times the charging capacity of standard current domestic batteries," professor Colin Stirling said.
In theory, residents could charge their car for free at a public charging port and then funnel the electricity into their home to keep the power running without paying a cent.
There is also scope to make money by returning energy to the grid.
"This is good news for the grid, this is good news for retail prices, this is good news for consumers," Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said.
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Currently there are only a couple of electric vehicles on the market that can pump energy back into the home and they can cost buyers upwards of $50,000.
"For the normal household, it's still probably years away before they can afford and legislation will allow it," Royal Automotive Association of South Australia senior manager Mark Borlace said.
"The infrastructure is expensive but it's getting cheap but when you compare it against a battery, it's a lot cheaper," Koutsantonis said.
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