Harnessing the Power of Electric Vehicles

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds that vehicle-grid integration (VGI) in California could save the electricity system between $1.8 billion and $11.7 billion annually by 2045. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology offers significantly higher savings than managed charging (V1G) alone, primarily by reducing the need for grid infrastructure upgrades and gas generation.

• Vehicle-grid integration (VGI) provides annual electricity system savings compared to baseline charging, with projected 2045 savings ranging from $1.8 billion (1% of system costs) to $11.7 billion (5% of system costs).
• Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology generates two to four times the savings of managed charging (V1G) alone, with the highest savings occurring in scenarios where all participants use V2G.
• The financial savings from VGI result from reduced electricity delivery costs, lower peak demand on distribution systems, and a decreased need for bulk energy storage and gas generation.
• The grid benefits of V2G can be realized with minimal impact on battery use; in a medium enrollment scenario for 2045, the average V2G vehicle exported power equivalent to an additional 700 miles of driving per year, representing less than a 7% increase in battery use for a vehicle driving 10,000 miles annually.
• Individual enrolled vehicles in a medium enrollment scenario could generate annual benefits between $503 (V1G) and $1,177 (V2G) in 2045, with cumulative lifetime grid savings per vehicle estimated between $6,000 and $14,000.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2025). Harnessing the Power of Electric Vehicles. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/harnessing-the-power-of-evs-exec-summary.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Harnessing the Power of Electric Vehicles. 2025. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/harnessing-the-power-of-evs-exec-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Harnessing the Power of Electric Vehicles |date=June 2025 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/harnessing-the-power-of-evs-exec-summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2025harnessing, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Harnessing the Power of Electric Vehicles}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/harnessing-the-power-of-evs-exec-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }