Car News: BMW taps into sustainability

Sustainability has become a priority worldwide, and the market for electric vehicles is pressured to grow in the US. Emerging smart charging programs have evolved to help energy providers, car makers, and customers put less pressure on the energy grid.

BMW has announced a new partnership with the nation's sixth-largest electric service provider in the Sacramento area, SMUD.

SMUD is a community-owned clean energy program for vehicle charging aimed to fuel cars with the cleanest energy possible while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. SMUD becomes the fifth utility company to join with BMW in their smart charging program along with Pacific Gas & Electric in California, DTE Energy in Michigan, Xcel Energy in Colorado and National Grid in the Northeast (Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island).

BMW is one of the first creators of alternative energy advancements. It has enlisted in the US electric vehicle market for smart charging programs.

These sustainable energy programs align customers’ charging needs to the time of day when it is most affordable, which limits stress on the energy grid. Utility providers have agreed for customers to receive incentives for switching charging times. Customers can always opt out of requests.

In the future, electric vehicles may be capable of releasing the vehicle battery to save energy from the grid, which would expand technology beyond smart charging and assist the grid during emergencies. BMW plans to experiment with vehicle-to-grid features.

Credit to Claire Becknell for this report.