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We’re used to thinking of cars as mobility devices, but electric vehicles have the potential to provide another, equally valuable service: energy storage. An EV is basically a big battery on wheels. And manufacturers are starting to offer a feature called bidirectional charging, which makes it possible to charge an EV, then later send that power back into a house – and eventually, into the grid.
As Penn State University energy expert Seth Blumsack explains, bidirectional charging involves more than flipping a switch. Powering your house from your EV requires a special charging system and an EV that’s configured for two-way charging – a feature only available in a few models now. But as bidirectional charging becomes more common and utilities learn to plan for higher levels of EV use, cars could become replacements for generators when the lights go out.
Also today:
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Think of your car as a home power supply on wheels.
Tesson/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Seth Blumsack, Penn State
Bidirectional charging is the next big stage for electric vehicles. But storing power in your car and sending it back to your house involves more than flipping a switch.
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Health + Medicine
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Dr. Danita Peoples, Wayne State University
The joke that sparked a violent reaction from actor Will Smith at the Oscars centered on his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss. A dermatologist explains the causes and treatment for alopecia.
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Lynn Gardner, Morehouse School of Medicine
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Science + Technology
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Danielle Parsons, The Ohio State University; Bryan Carstens, The Ohio State University
Roughly 90% of species on Earth are believed to be undiscovered. Whether researchers will be able to identify them before they go extinct is unclear.
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Education
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Elisabeth Gruner, University of Richmond
Grades don’t actually measure learning, and they can increase students’ stress and decrease their motivation. A college professor explains an alternative to grading students’ work.
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Environment + Energy
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Donatella Zona, San Diego State University
The growing season on the tundra is starting earlier as the planet warms, but the plants aren’t sequestering more carbon, a new study finds.
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Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, University of Michigan
If fossil fuel burning stopped, emerging research suggests air temperatures could level off sooner than expected. But that doesn’t mean the damage stops.
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Politics + Society
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Joseph Wright, Penn State; Abel Escribà-Folch, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
None of the available methods for holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable are likely to actually punish him, and they may even make new atrocities more likely.
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