The Nissan LEAF has become the first electric vehicle (EV) to be granted approval for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services in Germany.

V2G technology enables energy stored in EVs to be fed back into the national electricity grid to help supply energy at times of peak demand.

The car will act as a mobile battery storage unit, enabling power to be extracted from the grid when it is charging as well as feed it from the battery back into the grid.

The Japanese car manufacturer is to initially target business customers with fleets of more than 60 EVs.

Guillaume Pelletreau, Vice President and Managing Director at Nissan Centre Europe said: “We strongly believe in an emission-free future. Accordingly, we are also very proud that the Nissan LEAF has, as the first electric car ever, been approved as suitable for stabilising grid frequencies. LEAF batteries could make an important contribution to energy transition in Germany and a sustainable future.”

The initiative is supported by Daimler-backed The Mobility House, local utility Enervie and German transmission system operator Amprion, which is co-owned by RWE and infrastructure investors including Munich Re, Swiss Life and Talanx.

Earlier this year, OVO Energy unveiled what it claims is the world’s first widely available domestic vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charger.