Fermata Energy, the leading provider of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services, today announced that its FE-15 bidirectional charger has been approved by Nissan as the first-ever bidirectional charger for use with the Nissan LEAF in the U.S.
With Nissan’s approval the Fermata Energy FE-15 charger, along with its UL 9741 certification, has passed key requirements from Nissan, and has been verified to be compatible with the Nissan LEAF. According to Nissan, usage of the approved charger will also not impact the Nissan LEAF’s battery warranty.
Bidirectional charging technology means not only charging the Nissan LEAF, but also sending energy stored in the vehicle battery back to the building or the grid. Using Fermata Energy’s V2X platform, the Nissan LEAF is currently the only fully electric passenger vehicle in the U.S. market able to supply energy to the grid, allowing LEAF owners with the Fermata Energy FE-15 bidirectional charger to park their vehicle, plug it in, and save money with their local electric utility, as well as reduce the total cost of ownership of the vehicle.
“We applaud Nissan for their ongoing leadership in delivering new, meaningful technologies to EV owners. V2X bidirectional charging is an important innovation that enables Nissan LEAF owners to create additional value from the energy stored in the vehicle’s battery. That value helps reduce the total cost of ownership of their car, while supporting grid resilience,” said David Slutzky, CEO and founder of Fermata Energy. “At Fermata Energy, we were the first to receive the UL 9741 certification in the world and now the first to have Nissan’s approval on a bidirectional charger in the U.S.”
Ideal for companies with fleet vehicles, the Fermata Energy Demand Charge Management application, along with the FE-15 charger, continuously monitors a building's electrical loads, looking for opportunities to periodically draw on the Nissan LEAF's energy to provide power to the building during more expensive high-demand periods. In states with utility demand response programs, bidirectionally-enabled Nissan LEAF vehicles (MY2013 and later) are able to safely send energy stored in the battery to the grid during peak energy demand times, such as in summer months.
The Nissan-approved FE-15 bidirectional charger is available for commercial and government fleet owners.
Fermata Energy FE-15 bidirectional chargers are installed at multiple sites across the U.S. In Colorado as part of a vehicle-to-build (V2B) program, the Fermata Energy platform has lowered the electric bills at the Boulder North Recreation Center, saving the city on average $270/month, the approximate cost of leasing a Nissan LEAF in some markets.
In 2021, Fermata Energy raised $40 million, including a Series A round led by The Carlyle Group. Other investors included Verizon Ventures, Skyview Ventures, I Squared Capital and ClearSky.
