We talk to Elli Group, the EV infrastructure and utility arm of automotive OEM Volkswagen, about its new second life energy storage and energy trading ventures.

Volkswagen subsidiary Elli and transmission system operator (TSO) Elia Group have partnered to explore the potential of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

Volkswagen has started construction of its 40GWh battery cell gigafactory in Salzgitter, Germany, and the company plans to dedicate capacity to grid-scale energy storage in future.

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) company Highview Power has chosen Volkswagen subsidiary MAN Energy Solutions to provide turbomachinery which will form the core of a 50MW / 250MWh facility under development in northern England.

The €32 million (US$36 million) Hydrogen Mobility Europe programme was launched today, with Germany, the UK, the Scandinavian countries and France signing up with the aim of expanding hydrogen refuelling station coverage across the continent. Andy Colthorpe speaks to one of the companies behind the project and power-to-gas energy expert Christopher Hebling of Fraunhofer ISE about this “modern fairytale” technology.