Automaker Nissan and power company Enel plans to launch a major vehicle-to-grid (V2G) trial in the UK.

The trial will work by installing and connecting 100 V2G units at locations agreed by private and fleet owners of the Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 electric van.

By enabling Nissan electric vehicle owners to plug their vehicles into the V2G system, they will be able to sell stored energy from their vehicle battery back to the National Grid.

"This is the first time this has ever been done in the UK and by enabling customers to sell energy back to the grid, we’re providing a financial incentive to choose the sustainable option."

This move comes following the signing of the Nissan-Enel V2G partnership agreement in Paris in December 2015 during the 21st UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) and the subsequent kick-off of the installation of 40 V2G units in Denmark in January this year.

Nissan Europe chairman Paul Willcoxsaid: "The landmark trial in the UK is a significant step forward in renewable energy management, helping shape the future of industries, cities and societies.

"Smart energy management is one of the biggest challenges any nation faces for the future which is why this trial is so critical in assessing the feasibility of using variable, more flexible energy sources.

"We see Nissan electric vehicles as being the mobile energy hubs of the future, pioneering a self-sustaining energy infrastructure that will help solve the capacity issues of the future."

"This is the first time this has ever been done in the UK and by enabling customers to sell energy back to the grid, we’re providing a financial incentive to choose the sustainable option."

This initiative is part of Enel and Nissan’s commitment to support the entire electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.

As there will be an increasing number of EVs on the roads across Europe in the future and therefore, it is essential that V2G technology is rolled out to ensure the grid can satisfy the demands made upon it for increased energy, the companies stated.

Enel innovation and sustainability head Ernesto Ciorra said: "We are thrilled about the launch of this project in the UK.

"The installation of our innovative two-way charging technology will encourage the integration of non-programmable renewable energy flows into the grid and will help the spread of electric mobility in the country, benefitting the energy sector and the environment, while also having a positive impact on electric owners’ wallets.

"The fact that Nissan has chosen Enel’s charging technology to trial in the UK is the perfect demonstration of just how much potential the Group’s V2G electric vehicle charging system has to revolutionise not only transport but also the way electricity distribution works."

It is estimated that if all 18,000 Nissan electric vehicles in the UK are connected to the energy network, they will generate the equivalent output of a 180MW power plant. If that is scaled up in a future where all the vehicles on UK roads are electric, vehicle-to-grid technology could generate a virtual power plant of up to 370GW.

This energy capacity would be enough to power the UK, Germany and France.