Using electric vehicles for cross-border electricity transmission in borderland cities

If electric vehicles cross borders, charging and discharging their batteries on either side can provide a new means of cross-border electricity transmission. The concept of mobility-derived power flow is introduced in contrast to traditional interconnecting power lines. Relying on vehicle-to-grid capabilities, cross-border workers are well placed to optimise charging behaviour at home and at work by taking advantage of cross-border electricity price differences through spatial arbitrage. A generic techno-economic simulation method is introduced and showcased for French-Swiss borderland cities. Consider-able mobility-derived electricity transmission potential is simulated, ranging from 0.7–0.9 TWh per year, depending on electricity prices and charging scenarios. Annual cost savings of several hundred euros per vehicle could be achieved whilst enhancing security of supply in Switzerland, particularly during 6% of hours in the year when transmission congestion coincides with discharging. In some Swiss cities, mobility-derived electricity transmission could account for over 20% of current electricity consumption.