What Is the Future of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) in Australia?

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging transforms your EV into a portable battery that can store excess solar energy, feed it into your home, and export it back to the grid.

The technology enables your EV to help stabilise and decarbonise the power network while earning credits on your power bill.

V2G could form part of a complete home energy ecosystem, along with solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and smart energy management.

While V2G isn’t available in Australia yet, upcoming pilot projects indicate it could begin rolling out as soon as 2026.

Australia is a world leader in home solar and battery installations, so it’s no surprise that we’re also embracing electric vehicles. There are now over 300,000 EVs on Australian roads, comprising battery electric and plug-in hybrid models. Around one in every ten cars in Australia is now an EV - a remarkable feat considering that most only hit the road in the last four years.

But what if an EV could also power your home and reduce your energy costs? This is where vehicle-to-grid (V2G) comes in. It is part of ‘vehicle-to-X’ technology, which encompasses the following three areas:

In essence, these names all refer to EVs that can export electricity for another purpose, such as into your home or back to the power grid. EVs with V2G functionality will typically include V2H as standard, while V2L, which is geared more towards off-grid use, may only be available in specific models.

In Australia, V2G has the potential to transform EVs from a greener mode of transport into fully fledged ‘batteries on wheels’. It will give your EV the ability to store excess solar energy during the day, feed it into your home when needed (including during a blackout), and generate credits by exporting power back to the grid.

These abilities could make V2G part of a complete, intelligent home energy ecosystem that includes solar panels, battery storage, a heat pump, and smart energy management. And as a typical EV battery has enough capacity to power an Australian home for several days, V2G has the potential to reshape our energy landscape.

The first step towards using V2G is having a compatible EV. This is difficult in Australia, as only a handful of these models are currently available from companies such as Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Zeekr, and BYD. Australia’s top-selling EV brand, Tesla, has not yet specified if or when its vehicles will be V2G-ready, although it has expressed interest in the concept. Thankfully, due to growing interest from consumers and grid operators, more car manufacturers are developing V2G-compatible models.

Once you have the right EV, you’ll need a bi-directional charger that can import and export electricity. These monitor your EV and the power grid in real time, using network signals to decide when to charge, discharge, or remain idle. They also feature an inverter that converts the DC power stored in your EV battery into AC power that can be exported into your home or the grid. This works much like a solar inverter, which converts the DC power made by your panels into usable AC power for your home.

V2G has the potential to deliver a range of unique energy benefits. Its core features can enable you to:

While these are all very appealing, there are some concerns that the extra charging and discharging of your EV battery may reduce its lifespan - or even void its warranty. However, rather than exporting large volumes of power, V2G systems perform frequent ‘micro transactions’ that only discharge tiny amounts of electricity at a time. Initial research has shown that this method has little or no impact on battery health, range, or lifespan, while the income generated from selling power can reduce EV running costs.

In Australia, there are still various hurdles that need to be overcome to make V2G a reality. These include manufacturers developing more compatible EVs and adjusting vehicle warranties, regulators creating approval processes for V2G chargers, and retailers adjusting their feed-in tariffs and electricity rates.

Here in Australia, Origin is planning to run a V2G trial in 2026 with 50 customers. For a monthly subscription of around $800 (after tax savings), participants will receive a leased BYD Atto 3, a bi-directional charger, and up to 24,000 km worth of free charging per year. Origin estimates the pilot could save drivers between $500 and $2,500 annually, depending on the amount of power exported and their existing car and driving frequency.

While it’s not clear when V2G will be available to the masses, it could become a reality within the next few years. For example, AGL, which is running a pilot in partnership with several major automakers, announced it may start rolling out V2G to selected customers in 2026. With Australia projected to have around 300,000 V2G-compatible EVs by 2030, this technology could help make our power grids greener and more affordable for all users.

Here at 1KOMMA5°, we’re closely following V2G and its potential to enhance our existing range of New Energy solutions. These include solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and our upcoming smart energy manager, Heartbeat AI. With access to all the latest technologies - including V2G charging once it’s available - we can help you realise your green energy future.