V2G Australia: Vehicle-to-Grid Charging Explained (2026)

Vehicle-to-grid charging is the idea that an EV’s battery, 60 to 100 kWh of storage sitting idle most of the day, can do more than move people around. By discharging power back into the electricity grid during peak demand, V2G turns your car into a revenue-generating asset. You charge cheaply overnight or from solar. You export during the 5 pm peak when grid power is expensive. The grid gets flexible storage. You get money back.

As of October 2026, V2G in Australia is legal, three chargers are approved for grid connection, and a handful of retailer trials are running. It’s also expensive, slow to roll out and still waiting on most carmakers. In late September 2026, Queensland battery maker RedEarth Energy Storage entered voluntary administration, and the Australian-made V2G charger it had been taking orders for never reached customers. This V2G Australia guide covers what’s actually available, which cars work, what the trials have found, and whether V2G makes sense against a home battery.

If you’re comparing ways to store solar, our EV chargers hub covers every home charger sold in Australia.

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V2L, V2H, and V2G: the difference matters

V2L, V2H and V2G are three different levels of bidirectional charging, and most EVs only offer the first. They’re often confused, and the differences decide what’s possible with your car.

V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) is the most basic. Your car has a built-in AC outlet, or an adapter for the charge port, and you plug appliances straight into it. A camping fridge, a laptop, power tools or an emergency lamp. It usually delivers 2.2 to 3.6 kW. No home installation is needed. It’s available on the Hyundai IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, Kia EV6, Kia EV9, MG4, BYD Seal, Atto 3 and Sealion 7, among others. Our V2L guide lists every model.

V2H (Vehicle-to-Home) is a step up. A bidirectional charger on your wall reverses the flow of power. Instead of charging the car, it draws from the car battery and feeds your home’s circuits. During a blackout or high-price period, your house runs off the EV rather than the grid. The car doesn’t trade with the grid, but the charger still connects to your switchboard, so it needs the same approvals as a solar or battery inverter.

V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) is the most complex. The car exports power back to the electricity network, not just to your home. Your DNSP (distribution network service provider, the company that runs the poles and wires) must approve the export, the charger must be certified for grid connection, and the car must support bidirectional charging. In exchange, you can earn export income, join a virtual power plant, or take a retailer offer that pays more for evening exports.

Most EVs with V2L don’t support V2H or V2G. The hardware and software requirements are different.

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How V2G works technically

Standard EV charging converts AC from the grid to DC for the battery. V2G adds a bidirectional inverter that runs the conversion in reverse: DC from the battery becomes AC that can feed the home or the grid.

For grid export, the charger must produce a stable AC output that meets grid quality standards for voltage, frequency and phase angle. It must also disconnect automatically if the grid goes down, so it can’t energise lines that electricity workers think are dead. This anti-islanding requirement is the same one that governs solar inverters under AS/NZS 4777.

The car side requires the vehicle to support bidirectional DC charging through its charge port. Two standards matter in Australia:

• CHAdeMO (Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV) has supported bidirectional charging for over a decade. The equipment is mature, but CHAdeMO is being phased out of new vehicles. New EVs use CCS2.
• CCS2 bidirectional uses a communication standard called ISO 15118-20, which lets the car and charger negotiate discharging safely. It’s newer, and Australia’s first ISO 15118-20 V2G discharge only happened in June 2026, when a Hyundai Ioniq 9 exported power through a StarCharge Halo charger, as reported by The Driven.

Bidirectional isn’t the same as V2G-approved

Here’s where buyers get tripped up. A charger can be technically capable of two-way power flow and still not be approved to connect that way in Australia. Approval means a Clean Energy Council (CEC) listing plus your network’s sign-off.

Sungrow’s AC22E is a good example of the confusion. It has appeared in Sungrow event marketing alongside V2G messaging, which has led some owners to assume it’s a $1,000 V2G charger. Sungrow’s Australian product page for the AC22E-01 lists 11 kW or 22 kW charging and makes no mention of discharging or V2G. It isn’t on the CEC’s approved bidirectional list. If a charger’s Australian spec sheet doesn’t say V2G and it isn’t CEC-listed for it, assume it can’t legally export from your car.

There are also two hardware approaches. DC bidirectional chargers contain their own inverter and are expensive. AC bidirectional charging would use the car’s own on-board inverter, which is cheaper on the wall but needs the carmaker to certify the car itself as a grid-connected inverter. Every approved V2G charger in Australia today is a DC unit.

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Which EVs support V2G in Australia?

Very few, and only one group is confirmed working on an approved charger today.

Nissan Leaf is the most established V2G car in Australia. Its CHAdeMO port supports bidirectional charging, and the V2Grid Numbat has been formally tested with the ZE0, AZE0 and ZE1 generations, according to The Driven’s November 2025 report on the Numbat launch. The 62 kWh Leaf e+ is the most useful version for home backup.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV also uses CHAdeMO and is tested with the Numbat. Its battery is far smaller than a full EV’s, so it suits V2H backup more than serious grid trading.

BYD is the first carmaker in Amber Electric’s expanded V2G trial, and BYD is backing the battery warranty for participating cars. That’s a meaningful commitment, but it applies inside the trial, not to every BYD on the road.

Hyundai and Kia (expected, not confirmed) told EV Central in June 2026 that V2G and V2H would reach Australian cars by software update, starting with the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, with a third-quarter 2026 target. As of early October 2026, we couldn’t confirm the update has gone live. Hyundai has also warned, per The Driven in March 2026, that some chargers bypass its own software and hardware checks, and it has asked not to be listed as compatible with them. Check with your dealer before you buy a charger on the strength of a Hyundai or Kia badge.

Most other EVs, including the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, BYD Atto 3 and Seal outside the trial, MG4, Volvo EX30 and BMW iX, support V2L at most. They can’t feed power back to your home or the grid.

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V2G chargers available in Australia

As of October 2026, three bidirectional chargers are on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list. You need one of them for a compliant V2G or V2H installation.

Charger	Connector	Power	Price (as of 2026)	Notes
V2Grid Numbat	CCS2 or CHAdeMO	7 kW single-phase	$10,000 + GST, plus ~$1,000 install	First CEC-listed bidirectional charger (November 2025). Made in South Australia.
Sigenergy SigenStor EV DC module	CCS2	Module for SigenStor system	~$4,850 for the module alone	Only works as part of a SigenStor solar and battery system.
StarCharge Halo	CCS2	7.4 kW or 11 kW	~$6,000	CEC-listed 30 March 2026. Used in the Amber and Origin trials.

Sources: The Driven (Numbat, November 2025); ZECAR bidirectional charger guide (April 2026); StarCharge Energy Oceania via pv magazine Australia (March 2026).

Wallbox Quasar 2 has been widely discussed in Australia, and earlier versions of this guide listed it as an option. As of 2026 it isn’t CEC-listed and can’t be grid-connected here, and Wallbox hasn’t announced an Australian release date.

Sigenergy is the cheapest route if you’re already buying a SigenStor home battery, because the DC module plugs into the same system. Read our Sigenergy review for how the system fits together.

Budget $7,000 to $15,000 all-in for a standalone V2G setup, including installation and any switchboard work. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program doesn’t cover EV chargers, bidirectional or otherwise.

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What happened to RedEarth’s V2G charger?

RedEarth Energy Storage, the Brisbane battery maker behind the Australian-made “Boomerang” V2G charger, appointed Travis Pullen of B&T Advisory as voluntary administrator on 25 September 2026, according to RenewEconomy. The company’s board cited cash-flow problems and “damaging” competition from cheaper imported batteries in the residential market.

The Boomerang was announced in October 2025 using technology licensed from German company ambibox. It came in 7.4 kW single-phase and 11 kW three-phase versions. The 11 kW model was priced at $9,990 excluding GST, or $10,989 including GST, according to pv magazine Australia and The Driven. Pre-orders were due to open in November 2025 with deliveries in February 2026.

Deliveries never happened. RedEarth’s product page still marked both models as “coming soon” in October 2026, and the launch had already been delayed because certification proved more complex than expected. We found no evidence that any customer received a unit.

If you paid a deposit, contact the administrator directly. Voluntary administration isn’t liquidation. Creditors will decide whether the company is handed back to its directors, sold under a deed of company arrangement, or wound up, with the first creditors’ meeting scheduled for 8 October 2026. If you own a RedEarth home battery, get your installer’s service pathway in writing, since warranty arrangements were still subject to the administrator’s guidance at the time of writing.

The bigger lesson for V2G buyers: when hardware costs $10,000 and certification is still evolving, buy from a supplier with a CEC listing and a balance sheet that can survive a slow market.

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Australian V2G programs and trials

V2G in Australia is still trial-led. These programs were running as of October 2026.

Amber Electric (ARENA-backed). On 29 May 2026, ARENA added $13.6 million to Amber’s V2G project, taking total funding to $16.8 million and expanding it from 50 homes to 1,000. BYD is the first carmaker partner. Amber installed Australia’s first residential V2G chargers, StarCharge units in NSW and South Australia, from March 2026.

AGL. A 12-month trial with 100 participants started on 1 January 2026, using BYD, Hyundai, Kia and Zeekr vehicles across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia. The first 50 participants got a subsidised charger, and AGL has said it plans a commercial offer.

Origin. Up to 50 customers can take a BYD Atto 3 subscription bundled with a StarCharge Halo, which Origin prices at under $800 a month after tax savings.

ARENA Vehicle-Grid Network. ARENA committed $1,089,620 over three years in March 2026 to a project building shared V2G infrastructure.

Network rules. SA Power Networks treats V2G chargers like home batteries, with a combined export cap on small sites and demand-response requirements for V2G chargers from 1 July 2026. Ausgrid and Essential Energy also accept V2G connections. Your installer handles the application, but ask early, because network approval can add weeks.

Virtual power plants. V2G cars can join some VPP programs through the trials above. The car then responds to dispatch signals during price spikes, the same way a Tesla Powerwall 3 would.

In the ACT, the Sustainable Household Scheme offers low-interest loans for EV chargers, though bidirectional units aren’t named specifically. There’s no dedicated federal or state rebate for V2G chargers.

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The economics: does V2G pay?

For most households in 2026, V2G doesn’t pay on energy trading alone. The early data is modest, and home batteries have become much cheaper.

What the trials show. In the 30 days to 5 May 2026, the 25 vehicles in Amber’s trial charged 8,548 kWh and discharged 3,694 kWh, earning about $10.55 per participant for the month, as reported by EV Infrastructure News. Multiply that by 12 and you get roughly $127 a year. Earnings will rise as programs mature and as winter price spikes hit, but it shows how far V2G is from paying back a $10,000 charger.

A worked example. Assume you export 20 kWh a week during peak periods at an effective 50 cents per kWh benefit, combining export income and avoided imports. That’s $10 a week, or $520 a year. Against a $10,000 charger, the simple payback is about 19 years. Even a 10 kWh daily cycle at 50 cents would take more than five years to recover a $10,000 charger, before counting any battery wear.

The home battery problem. This is what changed the maths. Since the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program launched in July 2025, a 13 to 14 kWh home battery costs roughly $7,000 to $10,000 installed after the rebate. That’s less than a standalone V2G charger, and the battery is always at home. Owner-reported experience shows the shift. A few years ago, a cheap used EV was one of the cheapest ways to buy 40-odd kWh of storage for excess solar. Today a home battery of similar capacity can cost a fraction of that, with no car attached.

Where V2G still makes sense:

• You already own a Leaf or Outlander PHEV and want backup power without buying a separate battery
• You’re installing a SigenStor system anyway, so the DC module is a modest add-on
• Your home battery can’t cover winter evenings and the car is home most nights
• You can join a trial that subsidises the charger, such as the AGL or Origin offers
• You run a second vehicle, like a work van, that sits plugged in most of the week

Can I use an old or written-off EV as a home battery?

It’s tempting, because a crash-damaged EV can be cheaper per kWh than a home battery. Be cautious. A battery that has been through a crash or flood needs inspection by someone qualified before it’s connected to your house. The charger and installation must still meet AS/NZS 4777 and your network’s rules, and approved chargers talk to the car using ISO 15118, which identifies the vehicle. A purpose-built home battery comes with a warranty, a fire-tested enclosure and an installer who carries the liability. A written-off car comes with none of those.

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V2G vs. home battery: how to choose

If your goal is home energy storage and backup, compare a V2G setup with a standalone home battery.

	V2G (EV + bidirectional charger)	Home battery (13 to 14 kWh)
Storage capacity	40 to 100 kWh (full EV battery)	13 to 14 kWh typical
Usable for the home	Less than full capacity, since you need driving range	Most of rated capacity
Upfront cost	$7,000 to $15,000 for charger and install	~$7,000 to $10,000 installed after federal rebate
Federal rebate	No	Yes
Approved hardware	Three CEC-listed chargers	Dozens of models
Always available	No (car may be out)	Yes
Warranty coverage	Most EV warranties don’t cover V2G cycling	Typically 10 years

Post-rebate battery prices are from Gridly’s home battery cost guide, Q1 2026.

The EV’s storage advantage is huge: 60 kWh versus 13 kWh. But availability is the risk. If the car is out for a day trip when a blackout hits, you have no backup. Households that make V2H and V2G work tend to have predictable parking, with the car home most evenings.

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Is V2G worth it in Australia right now?

For most households, not yet. A rebated home battery is cheaper, simpler and better supported. Read our guide on whether a VPP is worth it for a related comparison.

For specific situations, yes:

• You own a Nissan Leaf or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, park at home most nights and want blackout backup
• You’re buying a Sigenergy system anyway and want the car to act as extra storage
• You can get into a subsidised trial with Amber, AGL or Origin
• Your house uses more evening energy than a single home battery can cover

The ecosystem is moving. Three chargers are approved, ARENA is funding a 1,000-home trial, and Hyundai and Kia have promised software support. Once carmakers certify AC bidirectional charging, the expensive wall box could shrink to the price of an ordinary charger, and that’s the point where V2G becomes mainstream.

If you’re buying a new EV today and V2G matters to you, ask the dealer for the carmaker’s written V2G position and warranty terms. Don’t rely on a press release, and don’t buy a charger until it’s on the CEC list. For the backup-only version of this setup, see our V2H guide.