August 4, 2026

Two technology trends are beginning to reshape transportation and the electric power system. The first is the emergence of autonomous electric vehicles capable of transporting passengers and goods without a human driver. The second is bidirectional charging, which allows an EV to operate not only as an electrical load but also as a mobile energy-storage resource.

Each trend is important on its own. Together, they create an entirely new possibility: electric vehicles that provide mobility services when transportation is needed and then autonomously reposition themselves to provide grid support when and where it has the greatest value.

August 4, 2026

A new review article offers a useful reminder for the bidirectional charging industry: technical capability alone will not deliver widespread adoption. Consumer acceptance is changing over time, and the factors that mattered most several years ago are not necessarily the ones that will determine success today.

The article, Evolution of V2G Acceptance: A Review of Influencing Factors Over Time, was written by Albert Caban and Zofia Lukszo of Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) and Geeske Scholz of Bremen University (Germany). It was published by Elsevier in the peer-reviewed journal Energy Reports, Volume 15, in June 2026.

Published on May 21, 2026, as part of the latest revision to UL 1741, Supplement SC establishes a new certification pathway for AC bidirectional EVSE operating with vehicles designed and tested to SAE J3072. Under this approach, the vehicle’s onboard inverter performs the grid-interactive power conversion, while the UL 1741 SC-certified EVSE acts as an oversight supervisor that authorizes and monitors export, verifies the vehicle’s J3072 status, and helps ensure the correct grid settings are applied.

Unlike the existing UL 1741 Certification Requirement Decision pathway for matched, multipiece DER systems, which certifies a specific vehicle and charger combination together, UL 1741 SC does not require each EV-EVSE pairing to be certified as a single system. That distinction could support greater interoperability among vehicles and chargers and help create a more scalable, potentially lower-cost pathway for AC bidirectional charging across the light-duty EV market.

7/31/2026

A new E3 study commissioned by General Motors estimates that vehicle-to-grid programs could create approximately $7 billion in nationwide value by 2030 and deliver five to 15 times more value per vehicle than one-way managed charging in many electricity markets. The analysis finds that V2G can provide greater energy, capacity, and transmission and distribution benefits because bidirectional EVs can both reduce charging demand and discharge during the grid’s highest-value hours. Annual value could reach roughly $2,200 to $2,750 per vehicle in several constrained markets, compared with about $100 to $400 for managed charging. GM already has approximately 250,000 bidirectional-capable EVs on U.S. roads, but E3 says regulatory barriers, export compensation rules, pilot restrictions, and utility program design continue to limit how much of this value can be captured for customers, utilities, and ratepayers. The next edition of V2G News will take a deeper dive into the study’s findings and implications.

7/29/2026

WeaveGrid is collaborating with GM Energy to make it easier for eligible Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac EV drivers to participate in utility managed charging and grid-services programs. Through WeaveGrid’s distribution-integrated orchestration platform, utilities will be able to coordinate GM vehicles, bidirectional charging systems, and residential storage to shift load, improve grid utilization, and support reliability. The partnership also creates a pathway for owners of GM’s more than 250,000 bidirectional-capable EVs—and customers with GM Energy V2H systems and proper interconnection—to enroll in future utility programs that support vehicle-to-grid operation. The announcement is significant because it links a major automaker’s growing base of bidirectional-capable vehicles with the utility software and enrollment infrastructure needed to turn those vehicles into practical grid resources.

7/7/2026

A Massachusetts vehicle-to-grid initiative previously covered by V2G News is now moving into active deployment, with 45 residential systems and 21 electric school buses already participating and a new application round underway. The program brings together Eversource, National Grid, EnergyHub, Sunrun, and The Mobility House under the utilities’ ConnectedSolutions framework, allowing participating EVs to discharge stored energy during peak-demand periods and earn compensation for supporting the grid. The effort is expected to reach roughly 60 customers and includes both residential vehicles and school-bus fleets, with other medium-duty EVs also under consideration. The update marks an important shift from program design to real-world operation across multiple vehicle and customer types.

7/25/2026

Toyota Industries has completed a joint verification with the Research Institutes of Sweden and Norwegian charging provider DEFA demonstrating that a vehicle equipped with a bidirectional onboard charger can convert battery power to AC and discharge it to the grid in accordance with ISO 15118-20 requirements. Unlike conventional DC V2G systems, which rely on an external inverter in the charging equipment, the AC architecture places the bidirectional power-conversion capability in the vehicle, potentially simplifying the charger and reducing infrastructure costs. The testing confirmed stable power supply, acceptable conversion efficiency, and resilience to external grid conditions. Toyota Industries says it will now address the remaining technical issues and improve charging, discharging, and power-control performance as it works toward commercializing V2G-compatible bidirectional onboard chargers.

7/14/2026

As hyperscale data centers race to secure electricity for rapidly growing AI demand, vehicle-to-grid technology could offer a faster alternative to waiting for major new generation and transmission infrastructure. With utility upgrades often taking many years, the article argues that millions of parked EVs could be aggregated into a large, distributed power resource capable of providing dispatchable capacity during periods of grid constraint. U.S. data-center electricity demand could reach 176 GW by 2035, making the ability to access power quickly increasingly important. While V2G will not replace conventional infrastructure, it could help data centers and utilities bridge near-term capacity gaps, make better use of off-peak generation, and reduce peak demand. Realizing that potential will require scalable aggregation, utility interconnection pathways, appropriate compensation, and confidence that participating vehicles will remain available when needed.

7/30/2026

More than 200 electric school buses are already supplying power back to U.S. grids during periods of extreme summer demand, demonstrating one of the most practical early applications of vehicle-to-grid technology. According to the World Resources Institute, approximately 230 buses participating in deployed V2G projects can provide about 8 MWh of energy, with at least 31 utilities across 21 states now involved in school-bus V2G initiatives. California leads the market, including Oakland’s 74-bus fleet and an upcoming San Francisco project that will initially deploy 104 buses. Although the current contribution remains small relative to total grid demand, school buses are especially well suited to V2G because of their large batteries, predictable schedules, and extended summer downtime. The growing number of projects also highlights the remaining barriers, including high upfront costs, inconsistent technical standards, battery-warranty concerns, and the need for clearer compensation and regulatory frameworks.

6/3/2026

Hyundai Motor Group has launched AllDayEnergy, a new global energy services brand designed to help Hyundai and Kia EV owners automatically charge when electricity is less expensive and eventually sell stored energy back to the grid. The service will begin rolling out through the Kia App in the United Kingdom during the second half of 2026, initially offering smart charging before expanding to vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home services. More than a new product name, AllDayEnergy signals Hyundai’s broader ambition to manage the ongoing energy relationship between its vehicles, customers, utilities, and energy markets. The rollout also highlights a continuing industry challenge: commercial V2G services will depend on the availability of certified CCS-compatible bidirectional chargers, supportive tariffs, and utility partnerships in each market.

7/24/2026

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan formally identifies electric vehicles as a regulating resource for the national power system, moving V2G from isolated pilot projects into the country’s broader energy strategy. The 2026–2030 plan calls for a cleaner, more flexible power system, including a 17% reduction in carbon intensity and an increase in the non-fossil share of energy consumption to 25% by 2030. By treating EV batteries as distributed storage capable of absorbing surplus renewable generation and supplying power during periods of high demand, China is signaling that bidirectional capability will become increasingly important for automakers, charging providers, and grid operators. Given the scale of China’s EV market, the policy could accelerate investment in bidirectional hardware, communications platforms, aggregation software, and charging infrastructure—and influence how EVs are designed and valued globally.

6/25/2026

Volkswagen Group subsidiary Elli is preparing an integrated vehicle-to-grid offering for Germany that combines compatible Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and CUPRA models with a DC bidirectional charger, a dedicated electricity tariff, and an app-based control platform. Around one million MEB-based vehicles in Europe—including roughly 360,000 in Germany—are already technically prepared for bidirectional charging, giving Volkswagen a potentially significant installed base for scaling the service. Customers will be able to set departure times and minimum battery levels, while Elli aggregates available vehicle capacity and markets it as a virtual power plant. The company expects to offer a first-year plug-in bonus of up to €720, with ordering planned for the end of 2026 and expansion to additional brands and markets, including France and the UK, to follow.

6/26/2026

Nissan has selected Valeo to supply bidirectional AC charging stations for its planned European V2G offering, marking a concrete step toward the launch of Nissan Energy services beginning in the UK. The system is expected to support compatible Nissan EVs, including the new Leaf, allowing customers to charge when electricity is abundant or inexpensive and export energy during periods of higher demand. Unlike many emerging V2G systems that rely on DC chargers, Valeo’s Ineez solution uses an AC architecture, potentially offering a more streamlined pathway for residential deployment. The partnership reinforces Nissan’s strategy to position EVs as energy assets that can reduce customer costs, support grid resilience, and participate in a more integrated energy ecosystem.

6/24/2026

Hefei, the capital of China’s eastern Anhui Province and a major automotive and technology center, recently coordinated 642 electric vehicles to discharge 11,312 kWh of electricity through 72 bidirectional chargers during a two-day V2G event. Participating drivers received subsidies of up to RMB 2 per kWh and could earn nearly RMB 100 per discharge session after charging costs. The city has now developed 16 V2G demonstration projects with 176 bidirectional charging points and plans to recruit more than 8,000 vehicles during this summer’s peak-demand period. With more than 577,000 new energy vehicles and over 25 GWh of combined battery capacity, Hefei offers an important example of how targeted compensation and coordinated public charging infrastructure can begin turning large EV fleets into practical grid resources.

7/7/2026

Tellus Power has introduced an energy-management AI platform designed to coordinate computing workloads with electricity prices, load forecasts, charging infrastructure, battery storage, and vehicle-to-grid resources. The company says the platform could shift computing activity toward periods of lower-cost or more abundant electricity while using distributed batteries and EVs to provide grid services. The announcement illustrates growing interest in pairing V2G with rapidly expanding data-center demand, although Tellus has not yet disclosed specific customers, deployed V2G capacity, or independently verified operating results for the new platform.
7/28/2026