Vehicle-to-Grid technology allows an electric vehicle to function as a large battery for a home, capable of powering an average residence for up to three days. The technology is being rolled out through trials, subsidies, and corporate partnerships, with governments and energy companies positioning cars as tools for grid management and profit. Stephen Corby reported this on April 3, 2026. **What People Can Already Do** Ben Marshan, 46, from Sydney, is an early beneficiary of the ARENA/Amber Electric trial, having purchased a BYD Atto 3 EV with V2G capability. Marshan had been using the Amber system for about two years since installing a home battery. He anticipates his vehicle running costs will be zero or better, with the grid potentially paying him to run his car. That is the most concrete example in the article of a person using the system for direct benefit. It is also a reminder that access is still shaped by who can afford the hardware, the subscriptions, and the setup. **How the System Is Being Built** Typical home batteries hold 5 to 15 kilowatt-hours, while an EV battery can store 80 kWh or more. This enables EV owners to charge their cars with solar power during the day and use the stored energy to power their homes at night, potentially avoiding expensive peak-hour electricity from the grid. The necessary complementary technology is a bidirectional charger. Australia’s government plans to roll out the Solar Sharer Offer from July 1, 2026, providing three hours of free solar power daily, which can be banked and sold back to the grid. The bidirectional connection also allows grid computers to draw power from V2G-equipped cars during demand spikes or blackouts to stabilize the system. Australian National University senior research fellow Bjorn Sturmberg participated in an Australian Renewable Energy Agency trial involving 50 Nissan Leaf EVs, which concluded in 2022. Sturmberg stated that vehicles can provide power to the grid in seconds during unexpected mismatches, such as power station outages. **Who Is Steering the Rollout** AGL Energy announced a new trial in September 2025, collaborating with Hyundai, Kia, BYD, and Zeekr, with the aim of launching a network-wide V2G offering for customers in 2026. Renae Gasmier, AGL head of innovation and strategy, suggested that V2G EVs should be considered "home batteries on wheels," noting that unlocking their potential is a "game changer for owners by allowing them to reduce their energy usage costs and for the broader community by contributing to grid stability." Engineer, inventor, and energy guru Saul Griffith, who holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, did not include V2G in his book, Plug In! The Electrification Handbook. Griffith expressed concern that affordable V2G risks arriving too late, given the rapid decline in home battery prices. He emphasized that Australia’s immediate focus should be on ensuring more EVs can charge during daylight hours, rather than running cars backward into the grid, and also cited potential warranty arguments with V2G. Griffith acknowledged V2G’s importance for grid backup but noted the need for better power electronics on the grid and concerns about energy companies dictating car charging times. Scott Nargar, Hyundai Australia senior manager of future mobility and government relations, predicted that many Australians would be using V2G to power their homes and earn income within the next six to 12 months. He mentioned that some individuals are already unofficially using a "hacker workaround" to enable V2G. Nargar noted that a 13Wh home battery unit costs between $12,000 and $15,000, making EV batteries a more cost-effective storage solution. Hyundai EVs from model year 2025 onwards are equipped with the necessary software and hardware for V2G, potentially requiring only an over-the-air update. China’s BYD, the world’s largest EV maker, is also exploring V2G technology. Harry Li, BYD Australia product engineering manager, stated that BYD has conducted several V2G trials in China, with the AGL Energy trial in Australia being the most advanced. Li indicated that BYD aims to have a V2G program operational by the end of 2027, believing it will offer customers more value by transforming vehicles into mobile power banks that can power homes or generate income. Elon Musk’s Tesla is a notable exception, as it has a profitable business selling used Tesla batteries as home storage Powerwalls. Alex Grant, ARENA general manager transport, stated that over 100 V2G trials have occurred globally, indicating that no further technical trials are needed to confirm its functionality. ARENA has launched another trial in conjunction with Amber Electric and the NRMA. The National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging, published in February 2026, projects market benefits of up to $2.7 billion by reducing large-scale generation and power storage costs. Grant noted that bidirectional chargers were certified and available by mid-2025, and their cost has decreased from around $10,000 in 2022 to between a couple of thousand and $5000 fully installed. He added that government subsidies for home batteries are planned to shift to new-tech chargers. Australia is well-positioned to lead in V2G adoption due to its high rooftop solar penetration and energy volatility. Net-zero sector plans for transport aim for five million EVs by 2035, and the Electric Vehicle Council targets one million EVs by 2030. Amber Electric offers a $25 monthly subscription service allowing customers to buy and sell power via an app, with potential profits exceeding $500 per month. Tim Barson, Amber Electric’s SmartShift partnerships manager, explained that using car batteries to store solar energy is only half the value; customers can also profit by selling energy back to the grid during peak demand, with some early adopters earning over $200 per day. Barson's own home, equipped with an EV, a plug-in hybrid, and solar panels, has near-zero power bills and rarely incurs petrol costs. Nargar suggested that electricity companies are advocating for V2G as an alternative to expensive mega-batteries, providing a distributed solution for grid fortification. The city of Utrecht in The Netherlands launched a large-scale V2G car-sharing service in 2025, utilizing 500 Renault 5 electric vehicles and bidirectional chargers to balance renewable energy flow, with 35 percent of rooftops having solar panels. Portia Rooney, Net Zero Engineering Solutions founder, received an iMove Co-operative Research Centre grant for a project to replicate Utrecht's V2G model in Australia, ideally in South Australia. Rooney estimated that 10,000 V2G-equipped EVs would be needed to entirely balance Utrecht's grid, a city of 370,000 people. She emphasized V2G's role in supporting renewables and achieving net-zero goals, noting that by 2050, the EV fleet capacity could provide three times the national energy market storage required. The article lays out a system where cars become distributed batteries, households become grid assets, and energy companies, governments, and app-based intermediaries organize the flow. The people at the bottom may save money or earn income, but the structure remains one where the grid, the chargers, and the rules are set from above.
