Key Points
- Amber for EVs now supports MG, XPeng and Audi models with built-in connectivity, alongside Tesla.
- The service automates charging around five-minute wholesale electricity prices, using CSIRO-developed forecasting to predict prices up to 24 hours ahead.
- Amber for EVs is a separate, one-way charging service. It is not the same as Amber's vehicle-to-grid trial.
Amber for EVs, the energy retailer's automated smart charging service, now works with MG, XPeng and Audi models that have built-in connectivity. The rollout went live on 18 August 2026 and sits alongside Amber's existing support for Tesla.
The service uses live wholesale electricity prices, which change every five minutes, to schedule charging for the cheapest windows. Amber says wholesale prices regularly drop to a few cents per kilowatt hour overnight and in the middle of the day, and can go negative, meaning a customer gets paid to charge.
The price paid for charging is the wholesale spot price of electricity at that point in time, not a fixed per-kilowatt-hour rate. Amber also charges a monthly subscription fee for access to the platform, on top of the wholesale cost of the electricity used.
How Amber for EVs works
Amber for EVs relies on price forecasting developed with the CSIRO, which predicts wholesale price movements up to 24 hours ahead. Customers can control charging in three ways.
- Ready By: set a target charge level and a deadline, such as 80 per cent by 7am. Amber works backward from that time to find the cheapest charging windows while still meeting the deadline.
- Scheduled charging: charge during fixed time windows regardless of price.
- Price-based charging: charge only when the wholesale price drops below a threshold the customer sets.
What MG, XPeng and Audi owners can and can't do
MG, XPeng and Audi owners link their car to Amber through the car maker's own app and account, the same way Tesla owners connect their vehicle. But there is a limitation: these three brands can only be told to start or stop charging. They can't be told to speed up or slow down.
That means MG, XPeng and Audi owners cannot use the excess solar charging feature available to Tesla owners, which throttles charging speed in real time to match rooftop solar generation.
Amber for EVs is not the same as Amber's V2G trial
Amber for EVs and Amber's vehicle-to-grid (V2G) trial are two different programs. It's easy to mix them up because both come from Amber and both aim to cut EV charging costs, but they work differently and cover different cars.
Amber for EVs is one-way (unidirectional). It automates when a car charges, but power only flows into the battery - 'smart charging'. Amber's V2G trial goes further, using bidirectional chargers so a car can send stored energy back to the home or the grid. The V2G trial is currently limited to the BYD Atto 3. Amber has warrantied 50 vehicles for the trial, with a waitlist of nearly 4,000 people, and has previously said it is targeting a commercial V2G rollout in 2026. The trial has since been expanded with $13.6 million in government funding from ARENA to scale up to more than 1,000 EVs.
Amber for EVs vs Amber's V2G trial
Amber for EVs | Amber V2G trial | |
Compatible vehicles | MG, XPeng and Audi models with built-in connectivity, plus Tesla | BYD Atto 3 only |
Charging direction | One-way: power flows into the battery only | Two-way (bidirectional): the car can also send power back to the home or grid |
Charging control | Start/stop only for MG, XPeng and Audi (Tesla also supports speed control) | Full charge and discharge control via a bidirectional charger |
Hardware required | None beyond the car's own connectivity and the Amber app | A bidirectional charger installed as part of the trial, such as those supplied by StarCharge or SigEnergy |
Cost | Wholesale spot price of electricity at the time of charging, plus Amber's monthly subscription fee | Costs are part of a separate subscription-based trial offer and are not published as part of the standard Amber for EVs plan |
How it works | Automated charging timed to five-minute wholesale prices, using CSIRO-developed forecasting | Amber's automation manages both charging and discharging, with no fixed schedule required |
Availability | Open now to eligible customers on an Amber electricity plan | Limited trial of 50 vehicles, with a waitlist of nearly 4,000 people; commercial rollout targeted for 2026 |
How to get started
Existing Amber customers can add their car through the Amber app:
- Open the Amber app
- Go to the devices tab
- Tap "add an EV"
- Select the car brand and sign in with the car maker's account
New customers can sign up at app.amber.com.au/signup and follow the same steps. Amber says support queries can be sent to info@amber.com.au.
About the author
Danny is a consultant and entrepreneur working at the cutting edge of the electric vehicle and energy transition. He is passionate about educating and helping consumers make better decisions through data.
