Zimi, a South African electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions startup, has secured $320,000 (R6 million) in grant funding from the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP Africa Trust Fund) to test its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is a technology that lets electric cars send power back to homes, businesses, or the electricity grid when needed.
EEP Africa, a leading clean energy financier in Southern and East Africa, selected Zimi as one of just 32 projects funded out of over 530 applications in its latest portfolio round. In a country like South Africa, where frequent load shedding and grid instability disrupt daily life and economic activity, V2G technology can turn parked electric vehicles into backup power sources to support homes, businesses, and the national grid.
“The grant aims to investigate and understand the limitations and challenges of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, develop real-world pilot applications to test V2G in practice, and ultimately create a commercial model that operates within existing grid constraints,” Michael Maas, Zimi CEO, told TechCabal.
Zimi’s business model is to partner with major logistics companies to support their transition to EVs – a move aimed at cutting operational costs and carbon emissions. By integrating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology into this strategy, Zimi plans to offer fleet operators charging solutions and turn idle EVs into energy that can feed power back into their facilities or the grid.
As EVs and chargers become affordable, Zimi sees this as starting a bigger shift. While it may take time for everyday consumers to come on board fully, the company is betting on early adopters like logistics fleets to lead the way.
“Perhaps the most important factor is a proven track record – something we have established through our work with major logistics providers such as Bakers Logistics,” Maas said.
The funding announcement follows Volvo EX90’s launch in South Africa – one of the country’s first electric vehicles equipped with bi-directional charging, a feature that enables vehicle-to-grid functionality.