Seven Swiss companies have turned 50 electric cars into power banks by feeding electricity from their batteries back into the grid when not driven to fill current energy gaps.

The Honda e vehicles were tested in real-life conditions for the first time, after the project named V2X Suisse and directed by Mobility was greenlighted in the city of Bern on Monday, 5th September.

According to the company, the cars will be available at 40 different stations throughout the Alpine country and should feed electricity from their batteries back into the grid when they are not being driven in both urban and rural areas.

Reportedly, the project’s objective is to use these cars as power banks and draw energy from them while they’re static.

The idea is to provide households with power during peak hours gained through their vehicles that can be completely recharged at a cheaper rate during sunny hours.

Mobility reported: “In future, electricity suppliers will be able to better balance out fluctuations, minimise bottlenecks in the distribution grid, reduce the need for expensive grid expansions and prevent power shortages.

They stated that the one-year test run should provide satisfactory results and added: “The potential is huge, but it has to be used more efficiently.”

CEO Roland Lоtscher said: “Our Switzerland-wide fleet network is virtually predestined for this pilot project.

“Once again, we’re pioneering ways to address challenges that go beyond everyday mobility.”

Project manager of V2X Suisse and electromobility expert at Mobility Marco Piffaretti said: “This is giving us much-needed experience to help us overcome the technical and regulatory challenges involved in bidirectional charging.”

This – according to Mobility – is the first large-scale test using bidirectionally charging serial-production electric cars in various conditions.

Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga greeted the initiative by saying that the project should help Switzerland gain more independence and move away from fossil fuels.