Vehicle-to-grid enters the market
Is vehicle-to-grid finally becoming a European business case?
With bidirectional charging, the electric car becomes an energy storage unit – and potentially a source of savings for drivers.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen, Valeo and Nissan are pushing bidirectional charging beyond pilots in Europe. Their latest moves show how EVs could become flexible energy assets for homes, grids and drivers, while opening new revenue models around vehicle-to-grid services and smarter charging ecosystems.
Vehicle-to-grid is beginning to look less like a
long-promised future technology and more like a commercial proposition. After
years in which bidirectional charging beyond pilots struggled
to gain traction, especially in Germany, several new initiatives suggest that
the market is entering a more practical phase.
Volkswagen is preparing an integrated V2G offer for private
customers in Germany through its energy brand Elli, while Valeo and Nissan have
agreed to market bidirectional charging solutions in Europe. Both moves point
in the same direction: electric vehicles are no longer being treated only as
loads on the grid, but increasingly as decentralised
energy assets that can store electricity, return it when required
and help balance renewable energy systems.
Why is Volkswagen building a V2G ecosystem?
At Power2Drive in Munich, Volkswagen presented a complete package consisting of vehicle, bidirectional
wallbox, electricity tariff and app. Initially, the offer targets
customers of Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Cupra in Germany.
The technical basis is the new Elli BiDi Charger, combined with Volkswagen’s
Naturstrom V2G Flow tariff and a control app.
Against the backdrop of Volkswagen's
ongoing restructuring efforts and cost-cutting programme, the customer
promise is clear: the electric car should create economic value even while
parked. Thomas Schmall, Member of the Board of Management for Technology at
Volkswagen Group, said that vehicle-to-grid made this advantage usable for
customers. According to Volkswagen, the electric car becomes part of a digital
energy and mobility system: it can store electricity, charge in a controlled
way, feed energy back and create additional value during parking time.
The group also sees scale as a major advantage. Volkswagen
says around one million MEB vehicles in Europe are technically prepared for
bidirectional charging, including around 360,000 in Germany. For customers, the
company is holding out the prospect of a bonus of up to €720 in the first
contract year, depending on how long the vehicle remains connected to the
wallbox.
How are Valeo and Nissan approaching Europe?
Valeo and Nissan used the Munich trade fair to sign an
agreement for the commercialisation of intelligent
charging infrastructure. The rollout is set to begin in the UK
before expanding to further European markets. The portfolio includes
intelligent unidirectional AC charging stations, known as V1G, as well as
bidirectional V2G solutions for compatible Nissan electric vehicles.
The aim is to position EVs more strongly as flexible energy resources. Valeo says the
technology enables intelligent energy exchange between the vehicle and the
grid. Energy stored in the vehicle battery can be fed back into the grid during
periods of high demand, potentially improving grid stability and the economics
of electric mobility.
Isabelle D’Ambrosio, Vice President Smart Mobility at Valeo,
described the cooperation with Nissan as a decisive step in the further
development of electric mobility. For both companies, the strategic logic is
clear: if charging becomes more intelligent, the vehicle can become part of a
wider energy management system rather than a passive consumer of electricity.
What makes the timing important?
The latest industry initiatives come at a time when energy
experts are increasingly positive about the economic potential of V2G. A study
by Agora Verkehrswende suggests that bidirectional charging could create
benefits for both EV drivers and the electricity system. By 2030, vehicle
owners could generate annual revenue of up to €500 by marketing battery
capacity, provided vehicles charge when electricity prices are low and feed
power back into the grid when prices are higher.
The potential could be even greater when V2G is combined
with private photovoltaic systems. Christian Hochfeld, Director of Agora
Verkehrswende, argues that electric vehicles can provide valuable flexibility
for the power system. By feeding electricity from vehicle batteries back into
the grid, they could help compensate for fluctuations in wind and solar
generation and support grid stability.
Where are the hurdles for V2G?
The direction of travel is clear, but the market still needs
standardised processes, interoperable charging
technology and suitable tariffs for customer participation. Germany
has long been seen as a difficult environment for vehicle-to-grid
applications, with regulatory, technical and commercial barriers
slowing deployment.
That makes the latest announcements significant. Volkswagen
is not only offering a vehicle function, but an ecosystem. Valeo and Nissan are
targeting a European rollout built around smart charging infrastructure. In
both cases, V2G is moving closer to the operational logic of the energy market:
controlled charging, grid services, pricing,
invoicing and revenue distribution, flexible storage and documented
value creation.
For the automotive industry, this also changes the strategic
role of the vehicle. As charging infrastructure becomes more grid-aware, data-driven and commercially scalable,
electric cars could become active components in Europe’s energy system. The
decisive question is whether carmakers, energy providers, grid operators and
regulators can turn that potential into a customer-friendly business model.
