New Study Pushes Vehicle-to-Grid Tech Closer in Australia

In what could be a game-changer for Australian households, a joint project between Essential Energy and CSIRO has successfully demonstrated vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology using commercially available equipment. This breakthrough brings us one step closer to making electric vehicles (EVs) not just the car of the future, but also key players in Australia's energy future.

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EVs as Energy Storage: The Future of Renewable Power

In a world that’s increasingly focused on renewable energy, EVs are set to become 'batteries on wheels', helping Australian households manage their energy use while supporting grid stability. The project, conducted at the CSIRO Newcastle Energy Centre’s Solar Carpark, proved that EVs equipped with the Combined Charging System (CCS2) plug type can store energy from rooftop solar panels and send it back to the grid when needed.

This is huge because it demonstrates how, with the right tech, your electric car can double as a mobile energy storage unit, seamlessly integrating with solar energy systems. Sam Behrens, the project leader, put it best:

"This development is a key transition step in supporting rooftop solar and grid stability in Australia."

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A Groundbreaking Test in Port Macquarie

The exciting trial took place in late 2024 at Essential Energy’s Innovation Hub in Port Macquarie, where researchers used a simulated home environment to test the potential of bi-directional EV charging. Essentially, this allowed them to replicate real-world household energy use and see how EVs could manage energy demand while sending excess energy back to the grid.

Two types of vehicles were tested during the trial:

A Nissan Leaf using the CHAdeMO plug with a bidirectional DC charger.
A Ford F-150 Lightning paired with an upgraded version of Sigenergy’s CCS2 charger.

Both vehicles successfully integrated with the energy system, enabling self-consumption and energy export to the grid.

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From Demonstration to Reality

For Australian EV buyers, this is a major step forward. While there have been some V2G trials in Australia using the CHAdeMO charging plug (used by models like the Nissan Leaf), CCS2 bi-directional charging has always been the missing link. This pilot project marks the first time that commercially available CCS2-compatible V2G tech has been demonstrated here.

Why does this matter? Well, the CCS2 plug is the standard on many newer EVs, so this opens the door to much wider adoption of V2G technology across Australia. EVs are now not just cars—they’re flexible energy resources that can help manage the increasing demands on our power grid.

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Real-World Testing and Insights

The lab-based simulations were a success, offering several key takeaways:

Integration of V2G Tech: The Nissan Leaf and Ford F-150 Lightning were integrated into the system, showing how EVs could seamlessly store and share energy from rooftop solar setups.
Simulated Household Energy Use: The lab was able to replicate actual household energy consumption, allowing researchers to explore how V2G could operate in a variety of scenarios, seasonal variations included.
Unlocking Potential: This project is more than just a demonstration. It's setting the stage for future EV models to serve as energy storage hubs for homes, offering flexibility in how energy is consumed and shared. This is especially crucial as Australia's grid transitions to more renewable sources.

What’s Next for V2G in Australia?

Looking ahead, CSIRO and Essential Energy are already planning the next phase. They’re focusing on expanding laboratory capabilities to refine the technology and explore real-world deployment.

This includes:

Improved automation and advanced communication standards.
Testing of future V2G configurations as more EV models become V2G-capable.

And the end goal? To have EVs as fully integrated energy solutions that benefit not only EV owners but the entire community, by adding much-needed flexible energy storage to the grid.

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A Vision for the Future

This is just the beginning. As EV adoption continues to rise across Australia, V2G technology could play a crucial role in decarbonising the grid and balancing energy supply and demand.

Here’s how Sam Behrens summed it up:

“We have high hopes that V2G will deliver benefits not only to EV owners but also to the wider community by adding much-needed energy storage to power system infrastructure. With their greater power and energy density as well as mobility, EVs could offer a level of flexibility and impact beyond anything previously seen in the energy sector in Australia."