The history of "vehicle-to-grid" actually begins outside Europe. In the United States, the first trials date back to the late 1990s. Now it is landing in Europe too, where Nissan and Enel — the manufacturer of the world's best-selling electric car (the Leaf) and one of Europe's largest energy utilities, respectively — have recently signed an agreement to develop a vehicle-2-grid system that will allow, hopefully in the near future, electric cars to be turned into genuine "mobile power stations" with which to store and feed unused energy back into the grid. The pros and cons? An interesting study from the University of Delaware clearly sets out the potential — and the current limitations — of these systems. Meanwhile, trials are getting under way in Europe too, to find out whether energy integration between the grid and vehicles could truly become a concrete way to actively contribute to a more sustainable energy future. "The project aims to transform the car from a simple means of transport into a vector for supplying energy to homes and offices. And for that to happen, it is necessary to improve the connection between vehicles, electricity producers, renewable energy sources and buildings," said Paul Willcox, president of Nissan Europe. Where will V2G trials begin? "In countries whose regulatory framework is more favourable," Enel replied. That is to say, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands: in Amsterdam, a project linked to navigation is already delivering interesting results. And Italy? Infrastructure is lacking and the number of electric vehicles on the road is still small; we will have to wait. In the meantime, however, while waiting for the government too to find ways and resources to spread more sustainable mobility across the country, some car manufacturers are making greater efforts than others to promote awareness of the benefits of electric vehicles. A virtuous example? The Stazione Fs Garibaldi Nissan in the heart of Milan, where the Lilac line stop (line 5) — one of the most modern in Europe — has become an interactive space in which to experience the benefits of electric mobility.