Ausgrid has successfully connected a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system to its electricity network, marking a significant step for bidirectional EV charging in Australia. The distributor’s footprint spans 22,275 square kilometres across Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter Valley, positioning it as a key player in the national energy transition.
Following the first connection, Ausgrid is now accepting applications for Clean Energy Council-approved bidirectional chargers through its standard connection process, with details available on the company’s website.
V2G adoption gathers pace
Ausgrid becomes the third Australian distributor to enable select electric vehicles to export stored energy back to the grid, joining Essential Energy and SA Power Networks. Essential Energy showcased its V2G capability at this year’s Smart Energy Conference alongside CSIRO, renewable technology firm Sigenergy and commercial EV distributor AUSEV, highlighting the technology’s readiness for real-world deployment.
Why V2G matters
Ausgrid has emphasised the customer and system-wide benefits of V2G. By selling excess energy during peak demand and charging at lower off-peak rates, participating households can reduce bills and support grid stability. On the network side, V2G can ease congestion and defer expensive infrastructure upgrades by operating much like a distributed, utility-style battery energy storage system-albeit composed of thousands of EVs. With EV batteries typically far larger than home batteries, the technology opens new options for energy independence and smarter home energy management.
A timely asset for Australia’s grid
With South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria all projecting reliability gaps over the next decade, V2G could play a crucial balancing role. CSIRO energy strategy lead Chris Dunstan told the Smart Energy Conference that Australia could have around eight million EVs on the road by 2035. “If each of these could export 7 kW, we’re talking 56 GW of capacity. If even half of these have V2G capabilities and then a half are exporting, that’s still 14 GW,” he said, describing V2G as the “Swiss Army Knife of the clean energy transition.”
Local innovation, global interest
Queensland-based RedEarth Energy Storage is preparing to enter the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) market. Last year, CEO and co-founder Charlie Walker and COO Marc Sheldon told ESN Premium that Australia could secure 3-5 GWh of V2X bidirectional charging capacity within a year.
Australia’s V2G momentum is also drawing attention in the UK and Europe. Energy retailer Amber Electric recently raised AU$45 million (£21 million) to advance its technology and has partnered with E.ON Next to deploy its automation software in the UK. Amber has also signed a similar agreement with Ecotricity to expand its platform across mainland Europe.
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