“We must avoid over-regulation”

As the automotive industry increasingly intertwines with the energy sector, Alexander Funke stands at the forefront of this convergence. He has been instrumental in exploring the potential of bidirectional charging—where electric vehicles not only consume but also supply energy back to the grid.

At the upcoming ChargeTec Conference, Funke will present his insights in a talk titled "Bidirectional Charging – Reimagining Energy and Mobility." The session will delve into use cases of bidirectional charging, the value it offers to customers, and the hurdles that must be overcome to unlock its full potential.

Drawing from his experience in both the automotive and energy sectors, Funke will shed light on how bidirectional charging can transform electric vehicles into flexible energy assets, contributing to a more resilient and efficient energy system.

ADT: How does BMW envision the role of eMobility as a stabilizing element rather than a burden on the energy grid?

Funke: The energy system is facing challenges, and with the transition to more renewable and volatile sources of energy generation, the need for flexibility is evident. eMobility is one of the solutions, as the required flexibility can be provided through the smart integration of charging sessions. With more and more xEVs on the road, the potential is increasing tremendously.

Uncooled DC charging cables for realising a wide range of charging solutions

With a comprehensive and reliable DC charging infrastructure, charging electric cars on medium and long-distance journeys at semi-public and public electric charging stations is more than suitable for everyday use. Long charging times are a thing of the past.

Florian Grothaus

Which customer-centric use cases for bidirectional charging offer the highest near-term value, both financially and functionally?

The most valuable use case in the near future is the seamless integration of charging optimization in terms of cost and grid stability. For the customer, no specific use case—e.g., Vehicle to Home or Vehicle to Grid—should be predefined. Incentivizing customers through low costs for charging sessions and adequate revenues when feeding electricity back to the grid during peak demand are key to gaining customer buy-in. The challenge we face is making it easy and seamless for customers to unlock the full potential, but it is definitely achievable. We must also remember that the benefits for customers extend beyond cost savings; a reliable and stable energy supply holds significant value as well. We may need to emphasize this in the value proposition and not take it for granted. Just remember what happened in Spain recently.

What regulatory or infrastructural hurdles must be overcome to unlock the full system-level benefits of bidirectional charging—and how is the BMW Group addressing them?

The ecosystem is not yet ready, and standards for the necessary communication between market partners are not fully established in a scalable manner. It is critical to ensure that regulations allow the ecosystem to evolve, especially by avoiding double taxation and enabling easy metering models. However, we must avoid over-regulation to give the market room to develop. Providing sandbox environments would foster market development instead of attempting to regulate everything upfront. Once these basic requirements are met, the standards will evolve as the market matures. Most critical for development in the near future is the acceptance of the necessity for collaboration and ensuring that all stakeholders willing to work together can do so.

Chargetec 2025

27-28 May 2025, SZ Munich Tower