Electric Vehicle Technology
Germany's first vehicle-to-grid solution
BMW and E.ON launch first bidirectional customer offering
Into the grid via the home wallbox: Electric vehicles will soon be able not only to charge electricity but also to feed energy back into the grid, thus stabilising the energy system
BMW
With vehicle-to-grid, the electric car becomes part of the energy system: The BMW iX3 can not only receive electricity but also feed it back into the grid. BMW and E.ON are thus bringing a commercial V2G offering for private customers to Germany for the first time.
As part of their long-standing strategic partnership, BMW and E.ON are jointly launching the first commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) offer for private customers in Germany. Through bidirectional charging, the electric vehicle, the BMW iX3, becomes an active part of the energy market for the first time: it can not only receive electricity but also feed energy back into the grid when needed. The intelligent control is carried out together with E.ON and a specially developed V2G electricity tariff, which enables feeding energy back into the grid.
The underlying software has been jointly developed by both companies. Customers who make their vehicle battery available for intelligent charging and discharging by plugging in receive an annual bonus of up to 720 euros and can drive up to 14,000 kilometres free of charge each year. "We combine charging convenience with tangible economic benefits. And incidentally, every connected vehicle can help dampen the costs of the entire energy system - to the benefit of all," explains Marc Spieker, board member for customer solutions at E.ON.
Drivers will still have full control over charging. They can set individual charging targets, ensuring the vehicle's availability for everyday use at all times. At the same time, intelligent controls can protect the battery by regulating charging and discharging processes so that the lifespan is not affected. With V2G, vehicles make a direct contribution to the energy transition: they buffer peak loads, compensate for generation gaps, and thus promote the use of renewable sources. In the long term, this flexibility helps reduce the costs of the energy system and advance the integration of renewable energies.
Market launch and strategic further development
The technology for bidirectional charging will be available on the market starting with the BMW iX3 and will gradually be introduced in other BMW model series, thereby contributing to the scaling of V2G and its benefits for customers. In the long term, the plan is to integrate the product into a comprehensive energy platform that intelligently connects charging infrastructure, photovoltaics, heat pumps, and smart home systems. The strategic partnership between BMW and E.ON is intended to lay the foundation for such an open, interoperable, and customer-centric ecosystem.
This article was first published at automotive.eu
