Image: AGL Next
The V2G trial will see AGL partner with four car manufacturers – Hyundai, Kia, BYD, and Zeekr – that will involve select electric vehicle (EV) models and provide trial participants with guarantees that their vehicle’s battery warranty will not be impacted by participating.
According to AGL’s head of innovation and strategy, Renae Gasmier, “the learnings from this trial will allow us to use feedback from participants to roll out a V2G proposition for AGL’s customers with EVs in 2026.
“Unlocking the potential of car batteries 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 during periods of peak energy demand.”
The news from AGL follows that of Origin Energy earlier this week, although that trial was limited to one EV provider, BYD, and one V2G provider.
AGL has conducted smaller trials before, including one that began back in late 2020, with the support of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). That was focused on the old CHAdeMO technology featured in Nissan Leafs.
In early 2022, AGL launched an EV grid “orchestration” trial with 200 homes which focused on monitoring and controlling EV charging to utilise cheaper off-peak renewable energy.
AGL and ARENA published the results of this orchestration trial in late 2023, revealing that time of use tariffs can play an immediate role in moving charging to off-peak periods.
This latest trial, however, will focus more on the potential role EVs can play as flexible storage assets – batteries on wheels – that can both reduce home energy costs and support the energy grid as more renewable energy comes online..
This technology is backed by AGL’s own smart software, which handles all the heavy lifting while ensuring that a customer’s EV is charged and ready to drive when it is needed.
“To unlock the full potential of their electric vehicles, owners need to think about them as more than cars, but rather as home batteries on wheels,” said Gasmier.
“The typical electric car battery can store enough energy to power the average home for around three days.”
For this trial, the first 50 eligible trial participants will receive a discounted bi-directional EV charger plus installation.
Participants will also likely be able to benefit from lower energy bills thanks to the flexibility of the V2G technology, saving money by charging their EVs when prices are lower, earning credits when exporting power back to the grid, and saving money by using their EV to power their homes when energy plan prices are higher.
AGL will also aim to expand the trial to enable customers to maintain greater control over their EV charging, allowing participants to dictate to the V2G platform when they want their car charged and ready to drive.
The V2G trial will bring together all of Australia’s major national electricity market (NEM) distribution network service providers (DNSPs), EV manufacturers such as Hyundai, BYD, Kia, and Zeekr, and EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) providers.
Don Romano, the CEO of Hyundai Australia said the trial will show how EVs can power homes and support the grid.
“It’s real innovation that Australian drivers can see and feel, and we’re proud to deliver it as part of this landmark trial,” he said in a statement.
“Amid cost-of-living pressures, this unlocks the potential for Kia EV owners to transform their cars into mobile energy assets,” added Damien Meredith, CEO of Kia Australia.
“Bi-directional charging is a game-changer, and we look forward to help introduce V2G to the Australian market on a much larger scale.”
The news was similarly praised by Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), which praised the increasing number of V2G trials being executed across Australia and the automotive industry’s willingness to participate.
“Electric vehicles can store five times more energy than a typical home battery, a huge untapped resource sitting in our driveways,” said Julie Delvecchio, EVC CEO.
“With around 350,000 EVs already on Australian roads the potential is extraordinary and trials like this will help turn this opportunity into reality.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
Pole-mounted fast-charging appears to be around the corner, helping deliver faster, cheaper charging to inner-city…
Sam Parkinson & Sarah Aubrey chat EV ownership, battery drama, and future predictions - all…
BYD says its best-selling and smallest electric car will make its way to Australia this…
Fuel for nothing and your energy bills for free: that is the promise of vehicle-to-grid…
Smart offers massive discounts inventory to help boost stocked inventory sales.
Tesla offers vehicle-to-load (V2L) in its newest Model Y in one key market.
View Comments
This only works when the energy you put into the car ($ per kWh), costs less than what you get out of the car.
If it's the same [or worse] then why add extra duty cycles to your battery for no benefit?
Who can charge their car at work/during the day for less than what they can buy power for at home?
I'd hate to have to use superchargers in this equation!
As someone who works from home and uses public transport when not working from home, I'd have absolutely no problem storing my excess solar in my car and then exporting it for higher prices. Why is that such an incomprehensible situation?
I imagine they will have a higher export reward rate at peak times or something like that.
Also you could charge the car in EV off peak periods like 8c kWh then export it back at those peak times for a double bonus
It's a valid question and one faced by home battery owners daily if deciding when to import to and export from the grid. Basically, you work out LCoS (levelised cost of storage), which for a home battery is the number of warranted cyclable kWh divided by the installed cost. For a subsidised home battery these days it is around 15c/kWh. Then, for example, you don't export 'free' solar for less than 15c/kWh or buy and sell for less than a 15c spread.
Working out the LCoS for using your EV battery is more complicated, but I am sure a figure can be put on it. If you could charge for free at work and then displace some peak ToU tariff electricity of up to 50c/kWh, you'd definitely be ahead.
Involving AGL and what would probably amount to a VPP offering from them though, and you may well not end up justifying the wear-and-tear / LCoS.
So how do you actually sign up for the trial? Or is it closed now? Unclear from article and other online searches.
https://next.agl.com.au/agl-v2g-trial
Awesome!
Hopefully AC V2G is also part of the trial?
No, as the car needs to have an AC-BiDi On-Board-Charger. As far as I know only Renault R5 does offer it in France.
And interaction is much more complicated as with a DC-BiDi-Wallbox. A DC-BiDi-Wallbox is outside the car and "communicates" with the energy meter AND ONLY communicates results with the eCar.
By definition all EVs with V2L have an on-board AC bidi charger. Renault offers a V2G solution based on their on-board AC bidi charger. The V2G bit, however, resides in a device outside of the car.
V2L powers an island, a fridge, a power tool. The converter "builds" it's own grid, including fault handling capabilities.
V2H, V2G works in parallel to the main grid, grid following, as frequency and voltage is given, thus the converter needs to comply. No specific fault handling capabilities (i.e. over current for fuse blowing) needs to be implemented (however, this might partly change in due course).
AC BiDi means the On-Board-Charger can charge the battery and discharge into the grid (either home or main grid), grid following mode. Thus no further "external device" is required. Any signal from control device (i.e. HEMS) must go "into" car.
With DC-BiDi, any interaction with the grid is handled in a DC-BiDi-Wallbox. Only battery related commands are transmitted (via CCS protocol) to the battery.
Why hopefully if I may ask? Or, to avoid any misunderstanding, what do you mean by AC V2G?
For vehicles to charge using solar they need to be plugged in during the day and AC power points are already everywhere, including whatever you may want to share that power with later on (mostly V2H). Therefore, it's the easiest way to change behaviour using existing infrastructure. Long term possibilities are also greater I believe.
Google AI response to AC Vs DC V2H possibilities:
Utilizes existing components: V2H AC systems use the EV's integrated inverter to power a home, meaning the vehicle already has the necessary components for this function.
Simpler and cost-effective: This approach is often less expensive and easier to implement, as it doesn't require extensive new infrastructure to be installed.
Utilizes standard AC infrastructure: Since most charging is done via AC, V2H AC leverages the existing AC EV charging network.
Directly powers loads: The vehicle's inverter can directly supply AC power to home appliances and devices, offering a convenient backup solution during power outages.
After years of delays, even the new enphase bidirectional car charger will now use DC V2H now I believe. So my money would be on DC V2H being the standard in the short to medium term at least for now anyway....?
My mistake, enphase also has a car charger 2 which is AC 22kW three phase or another version 7.5kW single phase.
Back to the car manufacturers.!
First basic EV with over 450km highway range and supports AC type 2 (22kW three phase) V2H has my money
If novate lease drivers get charging reimbursed, there is plenty of cash to be made if that energy is sold back to the grid. All you need is a 100kWh LFP battery and live close to a fast-charging station.
Pay once and get reimbursed twice.
I am absolutely not interested in V2G, V2H for me. I don't trust any utility companies to look after me or my equipment.
Taking your comment to mean plugging your EV into a gentailer-run VPP, completely agreed. But, if it were just the kit and you were on a wholesale plan (Amber) and AGL wasn't involved, the V2G could be a nice little earner if you export only when prices spike.
Another step forward in decarbonation bring it on.
We've been running one of our room air conditioners off our BYD Dolphin's battery for a couple of years. We only do it when the car has accumulated plenty of charge (via solar PVs on sunny days or from the grid between midning and 3:30 am when itr's cheap). It's saved us quite a lot of money -and since the car is only used for relatively short trips it's actually good for the battery as it ewmulates normal usage.
Try to get information about the V2G rules and conditions !! -> And post them !!
Most probably you're not allowed to operate PV, Storage at home, as with similar projects in UK (Octopus).
V2H is much more simple, as NO third party is involved !
In Germany a propsal from e.ON ask to connect mandatory for nearly nighly connection. How could they otherwise calculate availability. You get a compensation, which is however caped.
Didn't we have this story yesterday? Oh no, it was another greedy corporate seeking to boost profits at the expense of the consumer with unnecessary subscription services.
I fear that the quiet part not being said out loud by AGL is VPP. We really need to know what the associated retail deal with this is.
They would hardly be setting you up with the kit to get out of their grasp by charging at work and disappearing from demand (and billing) as soon as you get home. Or doing that while also going with a wholesale competitor retailer (Amber) and exporting if and only of there is a price peak you can earn some real money in.
Whoever at AGL is designing must surely be planning on either: a) wowing customers with something like a 20c/kWh feed-in every now and then, which will just so happen to be when wholesale is way more (up to $20/kWh in a market price cap event); or b) flogging your battery for a lesser return than the cost to you of that wear and tear (less than your LCoS, for the nerds).