Nuvve is proud to be helping the green energy transformation of remote areas and islands such as Bornholm off the coast of Denmark. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology has an important role to play because the island has a goal to become more and more reliant on renewable energy sources, and needs storage and discharge solutions to integrate them fully. As we shared in a previous post, the Bornholm Regional Municipality is now using electric vehicles (EVs) using Nuvve’s V2G solution as part of their daily operations.
We were curious how V2G is viewed and received by the employees driving the EVs since their daily work depends on the cars being charged to the right levels when they need them.
Claus Nielsen
So we chatted with Claus Nielsen, a pedagogical consultant at the Regional Municipality of Bornholm to get his impressions. Claus drives around the island in a Nuvve-charged EV visiting kindergarten classrooms and nursery schools to support children with special needs. Here’s what he had to say.
How do you like using an electric vehicle for your daily work?
To be honest, I am totally crazy about driving the electric car. Once you have made the shift from a petrol-fueled car to an electric car, you really start noticing how much smoke and noise the “old cars” were making. The electric car is more chic and comfortable, and there are heated seats which is a very big plus for me during the cold winters here on Bornholm!
Was it an easy transition to go from using ICEs to EVs for work?
I didn’t at first but now prefer using the EV. That’s because it took time for all of us who share the cars to adopt good habits when it comes to the EVs. In the beginning, there were several times when I went out to start one of the electric cars only to find out that the person who used the car just before me had forgotten to charge it. Many of my colleagues simply forgot to plug in the charger. So every time I had to use the car to go to an important meeting, I crossed my fingers hoping the car was charged. One day, I only made it outside the city limits of Roenne before the car ran out of power.
Now my colleagues have gotten into good routines as far as charging them, and the electric cars have become really popular. We even talk about the cars during our lunch breaks.
Did you know that the cars are using V2G?
No, I didn’t know that – but that is even better. I have children and want to take care of our environment and our climate. And I want to participate in “The Bright Green Island” vision for Bornholm. At home, I still drive in a petrol fueled car, but if the price of electric cars goes down and if we get more chargers all around the island, I would definitely consider buying an electric car in the future.
How does it make you feel to driven an EV powered by V2G technology?
For me, driving an electric car makes me feel good. In fact, I feel like a better citizen.
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Read more about Nuvve’s V2G commercial operations in Bornholm.
