The conference
language
is English

Vehicle-to-Grid,
Vehicle-to-Home
& Smart Charging

Integration of new flexibilities
into energy markets

April 7-8, 2027
in Aachen, Germany

Vehicle-to-Grid,
Vehicle-to-Home
& Smart Charging

Integration of new flexibilities
into energy markets

April 7-8, 2027
in Aachen, Germany

On the topic

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), Vehicle-to-Home (V2H), bidirectional charging, the car as a mobile energy storage unit, grid stabilization, ancillary services, new grid services, ISO 15118

The energy transition requires more electrical storage capacity — that much is broadly agreed upon today. The loss of inertia-based grid stabilization as conventional power plants are phased out demands fast, flexible alternatives. A massive reserve sits untapped in the batteries of electric vehicles, whose typical capacities of 40 to 100 kWh represent a collective storage potential unmatched by any other distributed technology.

The idea behind Vehicle-to-Grid is straightforward: electric vehicles should not only draw energy from the grid, but also feed it back in a controlled way — acting as a buffer for fluctuations from wind and solar, relieving distribution networks, and providing ancillary services. Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) uses the same technology to supply a household with energy from the vehicle battery and maximize self-consumption of solar power.

What was long considered an ambitious future vision is now a reality: in France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, all prerequisites for V2G are in place and first commercial offerings are available to end customers. Germany eliminated the longstanding regulatory barrier of double grid fees for bidirectional charging points with the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) reform effective January 1, 2026, laying the groundwork for market ramp-up. Since February 2026, BMW and E.ON have been offering an all-in-one package comprising a wallbox, V2G tariff, and smart meter. Mercedes-Benz is rolling out MB.CHARGE Home in 2026 — a fully integrated bidirectional home charging system starting with the electric GLC and the new CLA, developed in partnership with The Mobility House for both the wallbox and the energy tariff.

This shifts the focus to new questions: How do you scale bidirectional charging from individual projects to mass-market offerings? How do you achieve true interoperability across vehicles from different manufacturers and different charging infrastructure? The standardization of AC bidirectional charging is expected to be finalized by the end of 2026. Starting in January 2027, ISO 15118-20 will be mandatory for all new charging stations — the decisive step from smart charging to genuine grid integration.

The economic potential is substantial: grid operators alone could save up to 4 billion euros annually by leveraging flexibility options like V2G. As EV adoption continues to accelerate, smart charging will be a necessity regardless — the question is no longer whether, but how quickly and on what terms.

FAQs | 10 questions to the organisers

01

Could you give us a basic definition of Vehicle-to-Grid and explain how this technology is changing the energy sector?

Vehicle-to-Grid refers to the grid-supportive discharging of electric vehicles back into the power grid. The vehicles release energy when demand requires it — for example, when renewable generation falls short in the short term. In practice, V2G is often used as an umbrella term for related concepts such as Vehicle-to-Home (V2H), Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), and smart charging. What unites them: the electric vehicle shifts from being a pure energy consumer to an active participant in the energy system.

02

What are the key benefits of V2G for power grids and end users, particularly in the context of renewable energy?

V2G is especially valuable when renewable generation can’t keep pace with demand in the short term — for example, when clouds roll in or an unexpected drop in wind occurs. In those moments, EV batteries can deliver ancillary services within seconds. Over longer timeframes, surpluses from solar and wind can be stored and released during peak demand. For distribution networks, smart charging is particularly relevant: vehicles can reduce or shift their consumption when the grid is under stress, avoiding or deferring costly infrastructure upgrades.

03

What technologies and infrastructure are needed to successfully implement V2G systems?

Multiple stakeholders and technologies must work in concert: bidirectional vehicles, bidirectional charging infrastructure, open communication protocols (ISO 15118-20, OCPP 2.0.1), smart metering systems, and aggregator IT platforms that connect vehicle flexibility to energy markets. Interoperability is critical: every vehicle must be able to communicate with any compatible charging station, regardless of manufacturer. Since January 2026, all new public charging points must support the ISO 15118-2 standard; from January 2027, ISO 15118-20 will apply to all new installations.

04

What advances have been made in V2G technology in recent years, and how are they affecting market penetration?

Development has accelerated significantly over the past two years. The publication of ISO 15118-20 in 2022 established the technical foundation for cross-manufacturer bidirectional charging — independent of the CHAdeMO standard, which is now largely obsolete in Europe. Since then, vehicle battery capacities have grown large enough to provide a meaningful buffer for V2G applications. The Renault 5 E-Tech and Alpine A290 already offer V2G in France, Volvo and Polestar are running tests in Sweden, and many automakers have announced V2G-capable models. Since February 2026, BMW and E.ON have offered a complete package including a wallbox, V2G tariff, and smart meter with an annual bonus of up to €720. Mercedes-Benz is launching MB.CHARGE Home in 2026 — a fully integrated package of vehicle, DC wallbox, energy management, and power tariff, starting with the GLC and CLA in partnership with The Mobility House, with an initial rollout in Germany, France, and the UK. AC bidirectional standardization is expected to be completed by the end of 2026; DC is projected to follow by the end of 2027.

05

How can V2G support the integration of electric vehicles into the overall efficiency of a building or city?

At the building level, V2H enables the vehicle battery to serve as home storage: grid connection capacity can be reduced, demand spikes smoothed out, and solar self-consumption maximized. In Utrecht, a partnership between Renault Group, We Drive Solar, MyWheels, and the city has been operating Europe’s first comprehensive V2G car-sharing system since the summer of 2025, connecting vehicles to local solar generation and reducing grid congestion during evening peak hours by up to 300 kW. At the city level, V2G can slow or partially offset the need for distribution grid upgrades — a significant economic lever.

06

What business models and incentives exist to encourage EV drivers to participate in V2G networks?

The range spans from simple dynamic electricity tariffs — where customers benefit from price fluctuations on the intraday or day-ahead market — to fully integrated all-inclusive packages that bundle vehicle, wallbox, smart meter, and tariff. Providers such as Octopus Energy, Tibber, and The Mobility House are active with scalable solutions. Across Europe, there are now roughly 480 such smart charging options, primarily for home use, while public smart charging is growing as well. For vehicle owners, the financial upside comes through feed-in compensation, lower charging costs during off-peak hours, and payment for making battery capacity available as a grid service.

07

What challenges and barriers still stand in the way of widespread V2G adoption?

In Germany, the slow rollout of smart meters remains a central bottleneck, as grid market integration is nearly impossible without intelligent metering systems. With the EnWG reform effective January 1, 2026, the previously biggest regulatory hurdle — the double charge on grid fees for bidirectional charging — has been removed. On the technical side, interoperability remains the most pressing open question: proprietary solutions from individual manufacturers work today but cannot scale. The pending DC bidirectional standardization, expected by end of 2027, is also slowing the market ramp-up in the DC segment. Clear rules on battery usage and liability for using EV batteries as grid buffers are still needed as well.

08

Can you give examples of successful V2G implementations?

The era of pure pilot projects is behind us in several countries. Commercial V2G offerings are available to end customers in France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In France, Renault, together with The Mobility House, offers a fully integrated product where customers are compensated for making their battery capacity available. BMW and E.ON have been offering a home solution package in Germany since early 2026. Mercedes-Benz is rolling out MB.CHARGE Home in 2026 — a fully integrated bidirectional home charging system across Germany, France, and the UK, with the GLC and CLA as the first V2G-capable models. In Utrecht, Europe’s first large-scale V2G car-sharing project with integrated solar generation has been running since the summer of 2025.

09

How could governments and energy companies support V2G initiatives?

The most important step is removing regulatory barriers — accomplished in Germany with the EnWG reform effective January 1, 2026. Beyond that, an accelerated smart meter rollout is needed, along with clear frameworks for flexibility aggregation and consistent support for the ongoing interoperability standardization work. Energy companies should make the leap from pilots to commercialization: in Finland, France, and Denmark, the aggregation of EV charging for grid balancing and ancillary service provision is already possible — these markets can serve as a blueprint. Government and industry should set the standards and then let the market develop the best solutions.

10

How do you expect V2G to change the way we generate, store, and distribute energy in the coming years?

V2G and smart charging are a windfall for the energy transition: the growing EV fleet has the potential to provide a distributed storage capacity that dwarfs all stationary battery storage combined. The path there runs through standardization, scaling, and new business models. The long-term goal of leading players is to aggregate hundreds of thousands of vehicle batteries into virtual power plants. Realistically, we’ll likely see — as in other markets — a differentiated supply curve: some players offering large volumes of flexibility at low cost, others providing higher-value grid services at premium prices. Taken together, this flexibility makes it possible to build out massive amounts of renewable generation while keeping the grid stable.

For bidirectional charging to work, the following groups/companies must enter into agreements: electric car owners, electric car manufacturers, charging infrastructure manufacturers, service providers, electricity grid operators, legislators, and standardization bodies.

Depending on the application, different actors can benefit. In addition, the control unit must be connected to various data sources depending on the application.

Technical basics

To charge the battery from the mains, a rectifier is required to convert the alternating current into a direct current. Furthermore, when charging the battery, the current must be regulated using a charge controller so that the battery is not overcharged. If the car battery is to supply power to the grid, an inverter is required to convert the battery’s direct current into an alternating current. There are bidirectional inverters supporting both functions, i.e., rectifiers for charging and inverter for discharging to the grid.

Electric cars can be connected directly to a 230V household socket for charging. This was often done with the first vehicles when there were no wall boxes. The car is charged directly with an alternating current (AC). In AC charging, the rectifier is therefore built into the vehicle, and it depends on the vehicle manufacturer how the rectifier is dimensioned. The rectifier can charge at a maximum of 2.3 kW on a household outlet. Many electric cars can also be set at a three-phase socket. In this case, the charging power is higher, usually 10 kW, often 20 kW, or even up to 40 kW (63 A per three-phase current phase), and the rectifier in the car must be designed accordingly. When connected to a standard socket, charging is uncontrolled from the outside. Only the charge controller in the car decides whether and how much to charge.

If charging is also to be controlled from the outside, the vehicle must be connected to a charging station (wall box or charging column). This is often the case at higher power levels and public charging stations. The charging station can then tell the charge controller in the car how high the power should be. In AC charging, however, it is only a control unit and cannot change the power flow itself.

Plugs for AC charging in North America and Japan are mainly type 1 plugs. In Europe, the most common plug is type 2, also known as the Mennekes plug. Both plugs have two additional pins where information about the maximum charging power and the charging power to be set at the moment is transferred. However, it only allows data communication from the charging station to the vehicle, not back, and can also not be supplemented with further information.

In DC charging, the rectifier and charge controller are located in the charging station. This means the charging station contains power electronics and can adjust the power flow independently. However, this makes a DC charging station much more complex and expensive than an AC charging station.

Since the size and weight of the rectifier play a much smaller role than in the vehicle itself, it is possible to realize much larger charging capacities of over 100 kW. When and how much charging takes place can then be determined by the charging station.

If the battery in the vehicle is to be used for other purposes, such as bidirectional charging, the charge controller must know when and how much the battery will be charged and discharged. For this purpose, a data connection must be from a control unit to the charge controller. In addition, a control unit must also know how far the battery is currently charged and when the user plans to drive the vehicle and wants a charged battery. For this reason, a connection must exist from the car back to the control unit.

If a charging station is used, it may contain a control unit for bidirectional charging. However, with AC charging using the widely used type 2 plug, there is only an analog data connection from the control unit in the charging station to the charge controller, which, moreover, can only control the charging of the battery. For these reasons, bidirectional charging with AC charging is currently only very rarely available. On the other hand, with DC charging, the power electronics are in the charging station. Furthermore, a data connection to the vehicle could be dispensed with because the charge controller, which determines the direction of the current, is located in the charging station and can be connected to the control unit there. However, the protection electronics in the vehicle must know about the discharging, and the state of charge and end time should also be able to be transmitted from the car to the control unit. Therefore, a data connection in both directions is also necessary for practice for DC charging.

However, a sufficient data connection is only available with the CHAdeMO connector. The CAN bus protocol has been extended for discharging to the grid and allows a data connection from the vehicle to the charging station. In contrast, the CCS plug uses the same data communication as the Type 2 AC plug and is not readily suitable for bidirectional charging. In the future, the CCS system, in conjunction with ISO 15118, will also offer the possibility of regenerative charging.

Today, however, bidirectional charging is only possible with the CHAdeMO plug. There are already the first e-vehicles in Europe that can feed back into the grid.

One elegant way to bypass the tangle of connectors for data transmission is to use a wireless data connection via radio. The new V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) standard can be used here. This is used for traffic networking and includes communication via radio between vehicles and between cars and infrastructure. The latter can also be used for data transmission between vehicles and charging stations. The first vehicles are already using V2X. Now, a company commercially offers a bidirectional charging station with a CCS connector and implements the necessary data transmission with V2X.

There are several standardization activities in the VDE that concern bidirectional charging. It states: “The DKE/AK 353.0.401 “Bidirectional charging” working group is responsible for aligning the standardization process in the best possible way and for adapting the results in the best possible way for standardization.

Many necessary standardization activities exist for the “bidirectional charging” field of action. For example, the IEC 61851-1 standard contains the basic communication principles for controlling charging processes in electric vehicles. In addition to standards, VDE application rules are decisive for connecting charging facilities such as charging stations or wall boxes.

The electric car’s battery can serve as a substitute for home storage, especially in conjunction with a photovoltaic system (vehicle-to-home, V2H). This is worthwhile if the vehicle is frequently connected to the charging station during the day. It can effectively serve to increase the self-consumption of the photovoltaic system. In the evening, after sunset, some energy in the battery can be used for household purposes. Given the sharp rise in electricity prices, this model is particularly attractive.

In principle, one could even imagine using the vehicle battery for emergency power in the event of a power outage. As with home storage, however, the inverter in the bidirectional charge controller would have to be capable of islanding. Car manufacturers are also working on offers for this.

If grid operators, electricity traders, or operators of virtual power plants want to use the electric car’s storage capacity, the owners’ benefit must become apparent. Business models must consider appropriate remuneration for the power. Likewise, vehicle owners must be guaranteed a minimum amount of energy and, if necessary, complete charging at a specified time. This must be taken into account in the respective business models.

Most applications can only be implemented if many such vehicle storage units are controlled together as swarm storage units. A correspondingly reliable data connection from a central control unit is therefore necessary in most cases.

It must be considered that not all vehicles in such a swarm are always connected to the power grid. Statistical probabilities must be used here. In particular, the use of vehicle fleets of operators can be interesting in this context since the times of use are much better known and predictable.

Electric cars can be used in large numbers in the future to regulate and stabilize the power grid. Since they will exist in large numbers in the future, this would be the most significant benefit to the power grid. So, the charge controllers could supplement the instantaneous reserve, which takes effect at the first moment of load fluctuations and stabilizes the grid frequency. Currently, this is still done by large rotating masses of generators in large power plants. In the future, this function will have to be performed by devices with power electronics.
An operator of a virtual power plant could form swarm storage with electric vehicles as an aggregator and sell the power on the balancing energy market.

Primary control, in particular, is attractive for use with batteries. The power called up is proportional to the deviation of the grid frequency from the setpoint. However, it rarely deviates seriously, so little, if any, power needs to be supplied most of the time. Furthermore, the market for primary control is so attractive that it is already possible to profit from batteries.

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