Engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) and Easelink are combining bidirectional AC charging with automated conductive charging technology in a UK-based research project that requires no driver interaction. Nissan’s experience from V2G deployments globally is combined with Easelink’s Matrix Charging® technology.
NTCE leads a £10 million Government-backed research project that will fundamentally change how electric vehicles are charged, powered and experienced. The recently announced Project SUITE will deliver a host of breakthrough technologies that will transform the EV ecosystem. One of them is a bidirectional Automated Charging Device (ACD), namely Matrix Charging from Easelink, for Vehicle-to-Grid connections in real-world conditions, improving access to V2G charging and delivering hands-free accessibility of EV charging while maintaining a connection to the grid.
With more than 40 V2G projects deployed globally over the past decade, NTCE has accumulated substantial field data on the real-world barriers to grid integration. A consistent finding across deployments: the higher an EV state of charge, the less likely the driver is to plug in while parking. This behaviour creates unpredictable vehicle availability, limiting utilities and grid operators from relying on EV batteries as a responsive energy resource, particularly when grid demand peaks. Closing this gap requires removing the dependency on driver action entirely. An automated plug-in solution ensures that the vehicle connects to the grid whenever it is parked, regardless of battery state, thereby transforming EVs into predictable and valuable grid-supporting energy assets. Analyses indicate that through the automation of the charging connection and the resulting near-continuous availability of the vehicles, the commercial returns from V2G participation can be drastically increased.
"Our experience from field deployments has shown that the user’s charging behaviour remains a key factor hindering the full exploitation of V2G’s potential. Even highly engaged EV drivers do not consistently plug in once battery levels are sufficient for daily use. Automated charging addresses exactly this challenge: the vehicle connects whenever it is parked, without requiring any driver action." said Kazuyuki Sakamoto, Director of Advanced Research and Engineering, Nissan Technical Center Europe
Easelink’s Matrix Charging® technology enables fully automated, conductive bidirectional AC charging without cables and without any action required from the driver. The system consists of two components: a Matrix Charging® Connector integrated into the vehicle’s underbody, and a Matrix Charging® Pad installed at the parking space. When the vehicle parks above the pad, a flexible bellow is automatically lowered, establishing the conductive charging connection.
The UK research project marks the first deployment of automated charging technology within an AC V2G environment globally. Nissan has long-standing experience in this field, conducting a lengthy Field Operation Test (FOT) and the first to receive certification for AC V2G operation in the country. The SUITE project is already underway using the all-new 100% electric Nissan LEAFs as vehicles, turning today’s vehicles into proving grounds for tomorrow’s mobility.
In parallel with the project deployment, Nissan and Easelink are co-founding members of the Matrix Charging Interest Group (MCIG), alongside Audi and Voyah. The MCIG was established to harmonize the technical specifications and interface parameters that govern Matrix Charging® implementations across different vehicle brands and markets.
This work directly complements the ISO 15118-20 communication standard relevant for V2G, which defines the communication protocol between EVs and charging infrastructure. While individual OEM implementations of the standard are technically compliant, differences in interpretation can result in systems that are individually certified but mutually incompatible. In terms of automated EV charging, the MCIG addresses this by aligning key parameters across manufacturers in parallel with platform rollouts by reducing integration complexity and accelerating cross-industry compatibility as automated charging scales globally.
"Our collaboration with NTCE is built on a shared and fundamental belief that seamless EV integration is essential for a sustainable and renewable energy future. The know-how and learnings we develop together flow directly into the jointly formed Matrix Charging Interest Group, where they are translated into technical specifications as a basis for a global industry standard," said Hermann Stockinger, Founder and CEO of Easelink
"We consider V2G a core pillar of our long-term strategy and are pleased to work together with a world-leading brand like Nissan to enable seamless V2G through automated charging," said Gregor Eckhard, CTO of Easelink.
Both initiatives, the V2G project and MCIG, address a common challenge: EVs remain an underused energy resource when grid connection is unreliable. Automated charging increases the reliability and frequency of connection. This improves the commercial viability of V2G services, lowers EV ownership costs, enhances user experience, and increases predictability for utilities and grid operators investing in bidirectional infrastructure.
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