There were a lot of great products on display at Everything Electric this weekend, and of course V2G was a prominent feature. Show sponsor Origin has their V2G pilot, as does AGL, who had a big booth right in front of the main stage.
Whilst it’s great to see these pilots and trials get up and get funding in some cases from ARENA and others, it was one other stand that caught my eye. Revcharge, with its new blue branding, had something a little bit different – a V2G product that anyone can buy.
Revcharge, part of Electric Future, has been in the home charger install game for a while. “Our mission is simple: make home electrification affordable and easy for Australian families,” said Nathan Brown, CEO at Revcharge.
“Bidirectional charging is no longer a concept, it’s a reality. With backing from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), this technology has been installed in the first Aussie home as part of a national trial. Now, we’re bringing bidirectional charging to everyone with our new V2G chargers: Starcharge Halo and V2G Numbat.”
At the show I spoke with Revcharge’s Head of Products and Partnerships, who took me through the product. On the stand they had the StarCharge Halo connected to a BYD Atto 3, one of Australia’s most popular EVs.
When asked what other brands were compatible and what their warranty position was, Jerry responded, “The StarCharge Halo has been extensively tested with BYD, MG, and Zeekr vehicles, and compatibility testing has also been performed with a range of other brands. We recommend confirming compatibility and any potential warranty implications directly with your vehicle manufacturer.”
Warranty is clearly still an issue, although it must be noted that BYD have allowed for V2G use within the warranty in the Amber Electric trial, for which Revcharge acts as an installation partner.
Jerry also expects the range of supported manufacturers to expand and for the warranty position of those brands to become clearer. Jerry was keen to advertise their willingness to work with vehicle OEMs, and he invited OEMs to come and make use of their lab facilities.
Worldwide we are seeing OEMs get to grips with V2G and warranty. Back in May I heard Didier Duruy of Ampere declare that all Renault vehicles would support any amount of V2G activity within their warranties and that all Renault vehicles going forward would support the technology.
As Jerry points out, 7kW peak charge or discharge is much less than the 20kW average discharge that WLTP range testing of common electric vehicles implies.
The other key feature of this product is that whilst you can connect it to a Virtual Power Plant or to your energy retailer, you don’t have to.
If all you want to do is operate it as a Vehicle to Home (V2H) device, shifting your solar, optimising against your tariff, and providing home backup depending on how you configure it, you can. Some people will choose to connect it to Amber, AGL, or one of the 16 VPP products available in market according to Solar Quotes’ VPP comparison table published on 25th September.
It’s great to see a V2G product being offered to all Australians. Whilst it’s certainly quite costly at $6,999 including a ‘standard’ install, it compares pretty well with home battery products.
Sadly, V2G products are not yet eligible for the ‘Cheaper Home Batteries Programme’ subsidy. In spite of the cost, many Australians have shown themselves willing to spend money on being early adopters of new renewable technologies. As we’ve seen in solar, storage, and EVs, technology improves, prices fall, and governments may even offer a subsidy.
Everything has to start somewhere, and there are plenty of EV owners who have been waiting for a V2G product they can buy, one they don’t have to get on a waiting list for a limited access trial and one where they have full control over how the energy is used. Revcharge has a product – it’s up to you to decide if it is the one for you.
Ed Lynch-Bell is Principal at Second Mouse, dedicated to building more sustainable energy tech and mobility products, services and businesses. Ed is also a co-host of the Melbourne and Sydney EV Meet-ups, bringing the e-mobility industry together.