Japanese carmaker Nissan, has won the ‘Excellence in Climate Solutions Award’ for its work to develop electric vehicle technology and energy services systems. The accolade is part of the FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards, given by the Financial Times and the International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group.

The awards focussed on groundbreaking, commercially viable solutions to global development challenges, and past winners include the Cross-Boundary Energy Fund in Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana, which improved the efficiency of solar assets; and the Piramal Foundation in India, which uses technology to give rural villages access to safe water.

Nissan's vehicle-to-grid system enables energy from electric cars to be fed back into the electricity grid, this enables the grid to be more stable and sustainable. It can also help consumers manage their energy supply.

The second-life energy storage systems use batteries taken from Nissan Leaf and e-NV200 electric vehicles. The batteries are then turned into energy storage units for homes and other buildings.

"This recognition validates Nissan's continuing efforts to integrate EV technology into society," said Nissan's executive vice president, Daniele Schillaci. "From launching the first mass-market electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, to developing vehicle-to-grid technology, we will continue leading the way toward a zero-emission future through Nissan Intelligent Mobility."