Tesla isn't the only automaker that's touting the same multi-kWh battery found in its cars can be used to power homes.
On Tuesday, Nissan announced that it has partnered with Enel, Europe's second-largest power company, to announce its Vehicle 2 Grid system for its Leaf electric vehicle. With the Vehicle 2 Grid technology, the Leaf could be used as a mobile energy hub to power homes or offices, while storing and returning excess electricity to the grid.
"Nissan is the world leader in electric vehicles. We've being doing it longer than anyone else, we've sold more than anyone else and we've got plans for the future that are more credible than anyone else," Nissan's Europe chairman Paul Wilcox said in a statement to Automotive World. "Our pioneering partnership with Enel is a perfect example of those plans, taking the car beyond a pure road vehicle, and using it to charge your home or office. It ultimately means that electric vehicles can now become a fully integrated part of our national electricity systems right across Europe."
Wilcox added that the introduction of the Vehicle 2 Grid system is the "first step towards a truly integrated automotive energy eco-system."
"As the energy and automotive sectors converge, and as we look toward to an ever electric future, the opportunities for enhanced energy management have never been stronger," he added. "Vehicle-to-Grid technology represents a step closer to this vision and underscores Nissan's commitment to the entire EV ecosystem. It goes way beyond driving."
While the Vehicle 2 Grid system is enticing, it growing in popularity across the United States is largely contingent on the continued growth of electric cars amongst Americans.
Only an uptick of Leaf sales — and other electric vehicles like it — would pave the way for a future in which homes can be powered by their car batteries.
