Abstract:

The energy transition will require rapidly deploying renewable energy (RE) and electric vehicles (EVs) where other transit modes are unavailable. EV batteries could complement RE generation by providing short-term grid services. However, estimating the market opportunity requires understanding many socio-technical parameters and constraints. The authors quantify the global EV battery capacity available for grid storage using an integrated model incorporating future EV battery deployment, battery degradation, and market participation. This study includes in-use and end-of-vehicle-life use phases and finds a technical capacity of 32–62 terawatt-hours by 2050. Low participation rates of 12%–43% are needed to provide short-term grid storage demand globally. Participation rates fall below 10% if half of EV batteries at end-ofvehicle-life are used as stationary storage. Most regions could meet short-term grid storage demand as early as 2030. The estimates are generally conservative and offer a lower bound of future opportunities.