This Roadmap was commissioned by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and RACE for 2030 (RACE) to identify the critical path to achieving commercial adoption of bidirectional EV ("bidi") charging in Australia. The Roadmap is also intended to provide guidance to industry and government who will have a key role in developing policy settings and strategy initiatives to realise the benefits of bidi for the Australian community.
The opportunity
Bidirectional EV charging allows for EV batteries to be used for purposes including solar-self-consumption, back-up power and supporting the grid.
With the right policy settings, hundreds of thousands of Australian households could be using this technology to reduce their power bills by 2030, and millions by 2040. Our V2G Electricity Market Modelling Reports indicated this could materially reduce electricity costs for consumers and accelerate national emissions reduction.
The challenge
The immediate issue that needs to be addressed for Australia to access near term benefits from bidi, is to incentivise automakers to release this capability in our market over the next 24 months.
The technology is sufficiently mature to support this timeframe, and rapid progress can be achieved through national policy and actions that improve the value proposition for consumers while reducing associated costs and risks for automakers supplying our market.
Recommended actions
This Roadmap outlines 18 actions (page 30) under five action areas (ES Figure 1), that are recommended for inclusion in a national strategy for bidirectional EV charging to be developed by Australian governments. The most urgent areas for actions are:
• National policy commitment
• Time-limited installation rebates
• National Electricity Rule changes to enable dynamic tariffs and national consistency for networks
• Clear direction on interoperability standards
• Clarity on national smart grid architecture requirements
ES Figure 1: The five recommended action areas (A-E)
uptake and benefits
A market objective for bidirectional charging
The following Market Objective was proposed for this project and used as a basis for stakeholder discussions:
Bidirectional charging is readily available to provide high-value services across the Australian economy by 2030, with several products available by 2027.
Through the interviews and workshops held as part of this project, stakeholders have validated the Market Objective as readily achievable for residential bidi applications. However, this outcome is not guaranteed and is contingent on the implementation of this Roadmap.
Other bidi use-cases, beyond residential applications, may encounter additional barriers and complexities. Stakeholders believe these usecases will largely follow residential uptake, as it will promote community familiarity, a competitive supply of vehicles and EV supply equipment (EVSE), and necessary grid connection, tariff reforms, and market participation frameworks.
Many stakeholders consider uptake rates for bidirectional EV charging could be comparable to those achieved for rooftop solar in Australia, achieving 2.6 million residential V2G installations by 2040.
Contents of this Roadmap
Background
Definition of bidirectional EV charging, stakeholders’ bidi vision, description of the market research and consultation approach and a summary of potential electricity market benefits of V2G and associated value streams
Market readiness
Expected consumer appetite, the maturity of bidi technologies and applications by transport sector, and the conditions required for local market proliferation
Roadmap graphic
schedule of actions overtime identifying critical outcomes and emphasising the need for early policy direction to achieve the 2030 market objective
Background
Background
What is bidirectional EV charging?
Bidirectional charging allows for electricity to flow both ways between an electric vehicle (EV) and an external electricity system. This means that EV charging loads can be shifted to opportune times (unidirectional smart charging) and act as a generator, providing power to homes or buildings and supporting the electricity grid.
Bidi provides an additional source of fast and flexible battery energy storage that can be used to shift and balance variable renewable energy generation. Being typically located at customer premises means it is ideally placed to soak up surplus rooftop solar generation and support local grids during times of peak demand.
Types of bidi include:
• Vehicle to grid (V2G) - EVs supply power to a mains electrical circuit that is electrically connected to the grid.
• Vehicle to homes and buildings (V2H/B) – EVs supply power to local electrical distribution system that is electrically separated from the grid, such as off-grid or during a power outage.
• Vehicle to load (V2L) – EVs supply power directly to one or more electrical appliances.
Collectively, these are sometimes referred to as ‘bidi’ or ‘vehicle-to-everything’ (V2X).
As V2L is already commercially mature in Australia, this Roadmap focusses V2G and V2H/B while strongly emphasising V2G as the highest value and most scalable bidi application.
Stakeholders’ national vision
Participants in the Roadmap codesign workshop considered it important that Australia project a clear and ambitious policy narrative to signal to local and international supply chain stakeholders that Australia is ‘open to business’ and to align our internal planning and actions. The following is a prototype of this narrative:
Our vision is that V2G will put downward pressure on energy bills for Australian households, create opportunity for local industries and help our community meet our electricity and transport sector emissions reduction targets. The value gained from bidirectional charging will further accelerate EV adoption.
Australia will have 300,000 V2G capable EVs by 2030. We will achieve this future by removing barriers to market entry and by ensuring that tariffs and incentives enable consumers to access fair value of their investments.
About this Roadmap
This Roadmap was commissioned by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and RACE for 2030 (RACE) to identify the critical path to achieving commercial adoption of bidirectional EV charging ("bidi") charging in Australia. The Roadmap is also intended to provide guidance to industry and government who are key in enacting the policy settings and strategy initiatives to realise the benefits of bidi for the Australian community.
The Roadmap is grounded in extensive market research:
• A comprehensive national and international literature review
• Over 50 interviews with local and international supply chain participants and stakeholders
• Workshops with Australian electricity network businesses and consumer energy resource (CER) installers
• Industry collaboration via a codesign workshop with ~40 representatives including:
o automakers, equipment OEMs and suppliers, electricity networks business and energy market bodies.
o state and federal government representatives
Supporting documents
• National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging Background Paper – Provides further detail on the outcomes of consultations and analysis supporting Roadmap recommendations.
• V2G Electricity Market Modelling Report – Outlines the methodology and results of long-run electricity market modelling exploring the economic benefits of V2G.
Summary of groups consulted
Australia’s opportunity
EVs with bidirectional charging capability could become one of the largest forms of flexible electricity generation, globally.
enX has estimated that the usable storage capacity in Australia’s EV fleet will be over three times total NEM storage capacity by 2050. By the early 2030’s, total EV fleet battery capacity is likely to surpass all other forms of storage in the NEM, including Snowy 2.0. The near-term capital cost premium for enabling V2G is a fraction of the cost of large-scale storage. The basis of this cost advantage is that V2G only requires a marginal increase in the cost of installing a V2G-capable charger. Consumers will have already paid for the battery in the car.*
By making fuller use of EV batteries, bidi can therefore make a substantial contribution to accelerating and reducing the cost of Australia’s energy transition.
Achieving electricity market benefits
enX partnered with Endgame Economics to assess the potential electricity market benefits associated with different rates of V2G uptake. We found that in a future high-renewables world, that the uptake of V2G can materially reduce firming needs from grid-connected generation and storage assets. This would provide a wholesale market benefits of up to $2.7 bn by reducing large-scale generation and storage capital and operational costs while reducing national emissions.
* enX (2023) Opportunities and challenges for bidirectional charging in Australia
** AEMO (2024) Integrated System Plan (p.66)
Total NEM energy storage needs in 2050 Aggregate EV fleet storage capacity in 2050
V2G operation can also contribute to reduced distribution network costs by reducing local peak demand. Based on uptake rates assumed in the modelling, we estimated additional network cost savings of up to $1.5 bn.
Accounting for upfront installation costs, we estimated a total system saving (NPV) of up to $2.96 bn. These are considered a conservative estimates and savings could be considerably higher if faster uptake rates are achieved, or if large-scale storage deployments lag current forecasts.
Figure 2: Comparison of energy storage volumes in the NEM
Bidirectional charging value streams
Consumer
motivations
Financial rewards are widely recognised as the most effective driver of consumer participation in bidirectional charging programs to date. EV owners utilising bidi can reduce their energy consumption costs by using the vehicle to store energy from a local solar system, or at off-peak rates, and offset their peak rate consumption.
As detailed in the Background Paper, consumers are also driven by environmental concerns, a desire for energy independence, or the chance to support grid stability. Technology enthusiasts want to embrace the innovation of bidirectional charging, while others value its dual function as transport and energy storage, unlocking what would otherwise be an underutilised resource. Benefits like community energy resilience, as well as taking advantage of government incentives further encourage adoption.
Value streams
Bidirectional charging can provide the same range of services as stationary batteries. As a mobile battery, it is also able to provide power supplies in a range of off-grid contexts. Stakeholders identified four value streams that will underpin the future consumer value case for bidirectional charging:
Energy arbitrage – The largest monetisable benefit of V2G is the ability to discharge energy during periods of very high energy prices including via self-consumption and grid export. This benefits all consumers by reducing power system requirements for large-scale generation and storage.
Case study – An early adopter's experience
In 2021, Francis began an ambitious journey to integrate bidirectional charging into his home energy system. Equipped with a 13 kW solar array, two solar inverters, a home battery and a Nissan LEAF, Francis installed a DC bidirectional charger with a special grid code exemption from Essential Energy.
Francis signed up to a dynamic electricity tariff which allowed him to export power from the LEAF to take advantage of wholesale electricity market price spikes. On May 8 2024, when two units at Eraring Power Station went offline and the wholesale price peaked at over $16/kWh - he was prepared. In two and a half hours he earned $564 while helping keep the NSW grid stable.
Network support – Bidirectional charge operation can alleviate excess daytime solar production by charging during the day and reduce stress on the grid by discharging during extreme demand peaks. This reduces network capex and augex costs and increases network utilisation, reducing network prices for all consumers.
Alternative power supply – Many consumers highly value EVs as a mobile power generator and as a back-up power source during grid outages. This application offers significant community resilience benefits such as providing mobile generation capacity in the wake of a natural disaster.
Frequency response – DC bidirectional charging in ISO 15118-20 ‘dynamic mode’ is technically capable of providing very fast (<1 second) frequency response (raise and lower). However, stakeholders considered the market for this services to be relatively shallow and easily saturated by other fast acting energy storage resources.
Market readiness
Consumer readiness
Residential consumers are ready
Australia’s widespread adoption of solar systems and home batteries has prepared many consumers to embrace bidirectional charging. While awareness of the technology remains limited, there is already a keen segment of consumers eager to progress, with some delaying EV purchases until bidirectional charging becomes available.
There is a strong reported link between the motivations of those consumers purchasing an EV (rather than an ICE vehicle) and potential adopters of bidirectional charging. Some consumers, particularly owners of EVs like the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, have already purchased EVs expecting to use bidirectional capabilities. However, regulatory barriers have hindered access to this feature.
Stakeholders agreed that there is a significant group of enthusiasts who wish to access this technology, and the demonstrated beneficial use amongst this group will facilitate consumer acceptance amongst broader consumers prior to bidirectional charging becoming a more mainstream proposition.
Consumer behaviour change
Consumers will benefit from minor adjustments to their charging behaviours to access the full benefits of bidirectional charging. Many EV owners are already demonstrating flexibility with efforts to embrace smart charging or manually align charging with beneficial times of the day. Overseas experience shows that users are willing to adapt further to utilise bidi, such as by changing tariffs and plugging-in more often, when informed of the benefits.
Case Study: Behavioural shifts and attitudes towards bidirectional charging in the Project Sciurus Trial
Project Sciurus in the UK demonstrated significant potential for shifting consumer perceptions and behaviours related to bidirectional charging. Participants shifted their plug-in behaviour with 75% reporting they plugged in after every trip –showing a significant increase from typical EV charging behaviours of plugging in every few days.
Participation in the trial also alleviated the majority of the initial concerns participants had about bidirectional charging, and after participating many reported that it was important that their next vehicle had bidirectional capability.
The opportunity for different transport sectors
Residential consumers will lead local market development
The residential sector was universally considered by stakeholders to be the most scalable opportunity for bidi. This would leverage prior CER and electricity network investments and Australia’s world-beating customer uptake of rooftop solar.
The overwhelming view of stakeholders was that broad-based incentives can accelerate market commitments by vehicle OEMs and that further studies and demonstration projects were not required to accelerate uptake in this sector.
Over the past two decades, Australians have installed over 4 million rooftop solar systems and there is no apparent reason, based on expected EV uptake rates, why similar V2G uptake levels could not be achieved over the coming decades.
Commercial fleets were seen as a more medium-term opportunity due to the need to focus on, and overcome, more pressing barriers to EV-fleet integration.
However, there are signs of early interest in V2G integration by some fleet owners which may accelerate once vehicles in relevant classes become more available. Many commercial fleets have an operational profiles suited to providing bidi grid support services during evening demand peaks.
In Europe car-sharing has been an early, successful use-case for bidi and there was a view that the market opportunity for car-sharing and bidi can be mutually reinforcing, with bidi offering a revenue stream that could readily fit into a carsharing business model.
While car-sharing fleets sizes are relatively small, this could change in the longer term with evolution of vehicle ownership models and autonomous vehicles.
Some stakeholders think it is important to ensure public charging equipment can support bidi. However, it is difficult to make a strong case for this at this time without a better understanding of how this would align with a positive consumer public charging experience. The size of this opportunity is also thought to be relatively minor.
Heavy vehicles are an important area for future growth. Rigid trucks and busses were considered most favourably as they typically have shorter runs and duty cycles which allow for longer overnight recharging periods. Vehicle availability was seen a critical constraint ahead of 2030 during which time targeted demonstrations could be explored to firm up the commercial case for heavy vehicle fleet operators. Articulated trucks with high utilisation and longer haulages were not seen as an opportunity in the near term outside of niche applications (e.g., primary frequency control service delivery).
Several stakeholders noted the benefits of further studies to identify specific opportunities for bidi across commercial fleets and heavy vehicles.
Table 1: Relative size of the bidi opportunity by transport sector
Commercial readiness in selected international markets
Europe and the UK
Europe and the UK are currently transitioning from CHAdeMO-based trials to CCS2-based mainstream market offerings in the residential sector. Renault is currently launching its Renault 5 E Tech integrated product in France, followed by Germany and the UK. This product has a residential focus and generates value from wholesale energy arbitrage. Nissan plans to launch new CCS-based products in 2026 in the UK.
We Drive Solar in the Netherlands has implemented large trials using Hyundai IONIQ 5 with custom onboard chargers (OBC’s) in a car sharing context. V2X
Suisse has also implemented a carsharing V2G trial with Honda Es. The Parker Project successfully demonstrated frequency response from V2G in 2018.
The European Commission and the German Government are coordinating with industry around industry commitment and regulation.
The United States
As in Europe, most automakers are embracing ISO 15118 as an ultimate direction for EV-EVSE communications but some legacy interest in J3068 remains.
The most prevalent bidi use case has concerned school buses, and this is now considered commercially mature. Trials have also successfully demonstrated bidi in car sharing and residential contexts (e.g. PG&E). Early residential V2H products have been released by Ford, Tesla and GM.
In California, new regulations allow minimum bidirectional charging capability to be set on new vehicle sales. Maryland requires utilities to allow bidirectional EVs to connect by May 2025 and develop V2G integration plans.
Table 2: Estimated Commercial Readiness Level of bidirectional charging against the various use cases across the United States and Europe*
Technology readiness
Key technical standards are required for bidi operation
Bidirectional charging involves the application of a range of technical standards that will underpin interoperability between system elements and support advanced smart grid and electricity market integration.
Consumers will face alternative technology configurations
Bidirectional charging implementations are separated into alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) configurations, as shown below. The location of the AC/DC power converter determines the required scope of products that must be certified to Australian grid code (AS/NZ 4777.2).
CCS The Combined Charging System (CCS) is the standards framework for charging connectors and EV<>EVSE communications. CCS and its derivative Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is the apparent market direction in Australia. CHAdeMO is a functioning alternative but represents a shrinking market share.
ISO 15118 ISO 15118 is the communication standards for EV-EVSE interoperability. ISO 15118-20 is required for interoperable CCS-based V2G. Whilst production-ready for DC bidi, significant revisions are underway to standardise AC bidi. Early bidi products may be based on custom extensions to the older ISO 15118-2 standard.
OCPP The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is the communication standard for remote operation of EVSE. Version 2.1 is required for standardised V2G interoperability. Version 2.1 will be backwards-compatible with 2.0.1 (collectively ‘2x’), but not with 1.6 which is used widely today. OCCP 2x is still at an early stage of adoption.
CSIP-AUS Australia is adopting CSIP-AUS, based on IEEE 2030.5, as the national profile for communicating dynamic operating envelopes from distribution network businesses to customer premises. These will typically be received by a proxy or site gateway device with local communication to the EVSE via OCPP or Modbus. IEEE 2030.5 is not widely used outside of Australia and supply chain participants are generally unaware or unclear on how this will impact product development.
AS/NZ 4777.2 AS/NZ 4777.2 is Australia’s product standard for grid connected inverter-based generating systems. Recent updates to AS/NZ 4777.2:2020 provide a clear (yet untested) pathway to EV and EVSE grid code certification. Several DC EVSE OEMs are currently progressing down this path. No network connection delays are expected for equipment listed on the Clean Energy Council’s approved product list.
Table 3: Summary of key technical standards
Figure 2: Summary of AC vs DC bidi configurations
Technology readiness
International OEMs are adopting bidi technology
International supply chain participants are reporting a shift in focus from technology demonstrations to preparing early-stage mass-market products, especially for V2G for residential customers (with a greater focus on V2H in the US). Many (possibly all) EV automakers are currently in the process of developing bidirectional charging products and many EVs already in Australia have been demonstrated to be bidi capable.
A more detailed assessment of bidi technologies and their readiness is provided in the BidirectionalEVChargingRoadmapBackgroundPaper .
Table 4: Examples of EVs with ‘announced’ or ‘demonstrated’ bidirectional charging capability in international markets
Australia’s critical path
Australia will compete with larger markets
With the core technology to enable bidi well demonstrated, the focus of automakers and EVSE OEMs is now on productisation and homologation against standards* in priority end markets. Australia is likely to lag overseas markets and the timeframes for local product release are unknown. Supply chain participants reported that while the Australian market is considered prospective, we sit behind other markets that are considered to have a larger addressable market size relative to the costs of entry.
The timing for local bidirectional charging product releases will be dependent on a range of conditions being met:
Global conditions Key end-market conditions
• Commercial decisions on EV feature prioritisation by global automakers
• A competitive supply of charging equipment (AC & DC)
• Frameworks to manage concerns over vehicle battery health related to bidirectional charge operation
• Integration testing for EV<>EVSE communication (via ISO 15118)
• Clear and supportive government policy
• OEM confidence in a compelling consumer value proposition
• Large addressable market relative to market entry costs
• Consumer understanding and willingness to engage
• Permissive national grid connection codes and market participation frameworks
Australia’s comparative advantage
International OEMs prioritise end-markets for feature release based on endmarket conditions. Australia has key comparative advantages compared to other markets with strong residential solar uptake and a growing EV market share. Where electricity markets are competitive (i.e. outside of WA and regional QLD), consumers can access tariff arrangements that reward flexible EV charging. Historical reforms to make network tariffs more cost-reflective are also supportive of bidi operation.
Ensuring fair value transfers to consumers
International automakers assess the ability of end markets to transfer the inherent value of bidirectional charging into benefits for their customers. This includes a consideration of upfront installation costs as well as ongoing revenue opportunities. Installation rebates and further reforms to network pricing would support more rapid market development and ensure that consumers can achieve a reasonable return on their investment.
Addressing barriers to market entry
* Homologation is the process of certifying that a product meets the technical standards required in an end-market. For bidi, this can include EV and EVSE.
• Clear and efficient processes for product homologation
As a relatively small market, Australia will need to work harder to facilitate market entry of new bidi products. International stakeholders perceive jurisdictional differences in grid connection requirements and regulations as a challenge in market entry. We also have local requirements that are globally unique, presenting both advantages and disadvantages in attracting international investment.
Recommended national strategy actions
Australia’s critical path
Figure 4 Five strategy action areas (A-E) unlock consumer choice and benefit the broader community.
Key roadmap elements
A range of actions are recommended to achieve the Market Objective while supporting positive consumer outcomes. These are grouped into the five ‘action areas’ in Figure 4.
These recommendations were informed by international literature reviews, extensive supply chain and stakeholder engagement, and tested through the national industry codesign workshop held in Canberra on 12-13 November 2024.
Further analysis in support of these recommendations is provided in the National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging Background Paper.
Community uptake and benefits
Bidirectional charging products and services accelerate the transition to renewables and EV uptake reducing emissions and consumer energy costs.
Unlocking consumer choice
Bidirectional charging products and services become widely available, in line with the Market Objective, and the markets develops in a way which is aligned with consumers’ long-term interests.
B. Consumer value transfer
Consumers can access fair value for the services they provide.
C. Smart grid maturity
Grid connection and market participation frameworks are clear and nationally consistent
Interoperability and standards
Australia sets a clear policy direction on standards to enable efficiency business and consumer investment
A. National policy commitment
E. Supporting consumers
Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations
An unequivocal signal to local and international stakeholders that governments will proactively support EV charging products and services in our market
A. A National strategy for bidirectional EV charging
Key consultation outcomes
Market potential – International automakers consider that Australia is a prospective market for bidirectional products and services in the medium term (after the US and Europe).
Australia’s comparative advantage lies in our:
• globally leading uptake of rooftop solar and strong consumer engagement in new energy technologies
While Australia is a relatively small market, the rate of EV uptake is expected to grow under the new National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). The size of the V2G opportunity is considered largely proportional to the level of EV uptake and the nature of incentives provided in our market.
Accelerating e-mobility – The potential for bidirectional EV charging was universally viewed by automakers as a major advantage of EVs over ICE vehicles. All automakers considered that it has the potential to help accelerate EV uptake across almost all transport sectors ,with the highest potential being in residential transport.
Potential for global leadership – International supply chain stakeholders consider Australia could become a global leader in customer uptake and utilisation of bidirectional charging products and services. The right energy market and national policy settings can bring forward the timing of local product releases and support strong uptake of bidi products by Australian consumers. This can support continuing local industry energy management innovations that have export potential.
Jurisdictional fragmentation – There is a perception that some of our network connection policies and smart-grid integration architectures are novel, opaque and jurisdictionally fragmented (e.g. inconsistent CSIP-AUS server implementations, EVSE controlled load requirements in Qld). This is contributing to some international suppliers opting for a ‘wait and see’ approach rather than more actively developing products for our market.
The role of a national strategy – Stakeholders universally considered that clear national strategy for bidirectional EV charging could reinforce local comparative advantages and provide a strong signal to global supply chains that Australia is ‘open for business’.
Focus on broad-based incentives rather than trials – Almost all stakeholders considered that Australia’s national strategy should focus on at-scale residential bidirectional charging enablement. Further funding for residential pilots and trials is not on the critical path to the Market Objective but these will be beneficial in secondary use-case applications (in non-residential transport sectors) supporting broader uptake in the longer term.
A. A National strategy for bidirectional EV charging
Objective
In the short term, the objective of national policy should be to send an unequivocal signal to local and international stakeholders that Australian governments will proactively support the entry and uptake EV charging products and services for the benefit of the Australian community.
Recommended actions
A1. To strengthen international supply chain interest in our market, a national policy vision statement is needed to communicate Australia’s local competitive advantages and commitment to Bidi. This vision should reflect a clear near-term objective for local market enablement. Consideration should be given to using the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council (ECMC) to progress this national policy direction.
A2. Reflecting the imperative that actions be coordinated at a national level, the national CER Roadmap should expand to include a package of actions that brings forward the benefits of bidirectional EV charging for the Australian community. These actions should build on the outcomes of stakeholder engagements to date and the recommendations offered in this Roadmap.
A3. The scheduled review of the National Vehicle Efficiency Standard in 2026 should consider the incorporation of ‘super credits’ for vehicles that offer a minimum level of V2G capability reflecting the likely indirect (scope 2) emissions reduction benefits associated with V2G operation. Consideration should include any potential adverse implications for broader EV supply and costs in the Australian market.
A4. Ensure sufficient funding is available for industry development program initiatives (in addition to research and pilots) through organisations such as RACE and ARENA. Where broad-based incentives are in place for residential uptake, funding for technical trials and pilots should focus on enabling the critical path to industry achieving scaled bidirectional deployment in non-residential transport sectors.
B. Enabling fair value transfer to consumers
Key consultation outcomes
Public good spill-overs – Policy settings and incentives should reflect the broader social benefits that an accelerated adoption of V2G can deliver. These include:
• Reduced electricity system costs and downward pressure on bills for Australian households
• Increasing consumer access to new products and services
• Reduced product costs achieved through scaled production
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
With careful design, market development incentives can ensure that the benefits of accelerated V2G market development are shared by all consumers rather than just direct participants.
Energy and network pricing – Time-varying electricity pricing is seen by stakeholders as the primary means for transferring fair value to consumers. Competitive retail markets (outside of WA and regional QLD) currently allow consumers to access fully cost-reflective electricity pricing, but there is no transparent path to fully cost-reflective (dynamic) network pricing.
In the US, publicly-owned utilities are offering ‘dynamic rates’ to reduce critical peak demand. The EU has advised member states to ensure that ‘dynamic tariffs’ are available to all customers to address grid congestion.
The value case for V2G is advanced by dynamic prices as it allows charge cycling to be concentrated on high value periods. Conversely, conventional Time-of-Use tariffs incentivise regular daily cycling (which contributed to vehicle battery health concerns) and undervalues battery discharges at critical times.
Time-limited installation rebates – Early adopters will face higher upfront equipment and installation costs and complexity until scale production is achieved and product offerings and supply chains have matured. While a portion of consumers will be motivated to press through these challenges, this cohort is considered insufficient to enable major product commitments by major automakers and EVSE OEMs.
It was generally agreed that a scheme of broad-based installation rebates would contribute to materially faster product commitments by automakers and EVSE OEMs in our market. Stakeholders considered that any rebate scheme should be:
• retrospective to the time of policy announcement so as not to create perverse incentives to delay market commitments
• have a clear cap based on number of supported installations or available funding.
Addressing cross-subsidy concerns – Stakeholders agreed that renters and apartment dwellers are unlikely to be early adopters of bidi products.
Addressing barriers to unidirectional EV charging is the immediate priority for these consumers. Policy design and supporting narratives must be clear as to how any incentives for bidirectional charging do not constitute a cross subsidy by consumer groups less able to access bidi products.
B. Ensuring fair value transfer to consumers
Objective
The objective of this package of actions is to ensure Australian consumers can access fair value from bidirectional EV charging products and services and access them competitive prices.
Recommended actions
B1. Submission of a National Electricity Rules Rule Change Proposal to ensure that all Australian consumers can realise the full value of their CER investments (including bidirectional charging) by requiring all networks to offer dynamic network pricing products to willing customers in relevant network areas.
B2. The Australian Government consider time-limited installation rebates to catalyse the supply of bidirectional charging products and services to enable early market deployment ahead of full-scale mainstream adoption.
B3. ARENA and RACE continue to offer funding for project-based trials and research to address barriers to early deployments in ‘secondary’ usecases such as commercial fleets, public charging, car sharing and heavy vehicles.
* Based on enX modelling. Note that the ‘Moderate’ rate here is equivalent to the ‘Fast Uptake’ scenario set out in the V2G Electricity Market Modelling Report
Figure 5: The growth of V2G customers under alternative uptake scenarios*
C. Smart grid maturity
Key consultation outcomes
Australia’s national grid code – Recent updates to AS 4777.2 enable national certification of AC & DC bidirectional charging products, providing a basis for national consistency and a streamlined product homologation process for vehicle and EVSE OEMs. National consistency offers a key advantage over EU and US markets which suffer from highly fragmented arrangements. However, Australia remains a relatively modest-sized market by world standards and certification processes under the standard are yet to be tested. This creates a risk-reward trade-off that international supply chain participants are wary of. Several EVSE OEMs are exploring the potential to achieve certification in 2025.
Australia’s potential smart grid advantage – Jurisdictional adoption of CSIPAUS for ‘emergency backstop’, ‘flexible exports’ and ‘dynamic EVSE management’ is globally unique and in some ways world-leading. While this generally advantages V2G by opening export limits at times coincident with high electricity prices, it also creates product design and homologation costs and complexity specific to the Australian market.
Lack of national guidance on smart grid requirements – International automakers and EVSE OEMs, including some local representatives, have a limited understanding of Australian network’s emerging approach to CER integration. In the absence of a formal direction for future smart grid architecture development, international supply chain stakeholders perceive a level of risk which presents an additional barrier to market entry.
Supply chain participants pointed to a lack of guidance regarding Australia’s approach to CER integration. Australia has no ‘front door’ for CER product developers and existing information is fragmented and lacks a unifying framework. Combined with our relatively small market size, a lack of clear guidance regarding current requirements and future roadmaps provides an initial barrier to market engagement.
Jurisdictional inconsistencies – Inconsistencies exist between Australian network businesses in terminology, current practices and future direction (as expressed partly in the scope of various pilots and trials). Queensland and South Australia were most frequently called out for divergent requirements (e.g. EVSE controlled load, interoperability requirements, and use of DRED control). Differences in the CSIP-AUS server implementations and PKI arrangements were also cited as adding inefficient costs and risks to industry.
While various projects to harmonise network connection agreements and service and installation rules were noted by local stakeholders, they generally expressed low levels of confidence in these processes achieving substantive or timely change.
Further, the Australian Energy Regulatory (AER) is not able to promote national harmonisation between network services providers due to limitations in the National Electricity Rules and there are no formal institutional arrangements that can ensure jurisdictional technical regulations and grid connection requirements are harmonised.
Objective
The objective of this package of actions is to ensure that Australian grid connection and market participation frameworks are clear and nationally consistent. This will support timely product commitments by international suppliers, market competition and lower costs to all industry participants, which will flow through to consumer-facing prices.
Recommended actions
C1. Aligned with CER Roadmap project M.3*, industry work to define a National CER Integration Architecture Objective supported by a definition of the existing roles and responsibilities of parties in CER / vehicle-grid-integration and the key interfaces and interoperability protocols required in different applications. This will provide the basis for an online entry point for OEMs and service providers seeking to supply the Australian market, and end-state objectives against which individual DNSP initiatives can be assessed.
C2. Australian governments continue to progress CER Roadmap project P.2 with a view to enforcing greater national alignment. Governments prioritise the development of national regulatory frameworks and consistent grid connection requirements for CER including bidirectional EV charging.**
C3. Submission of a rule change request to require the AER and network business to consider, and work towards, national consistency in capital and operational expenditure proposals and Demand Management Innovation Allowance funding. This should include an explicit consideration of benefits to electricity consumers that are beyond electricity prices, such as CER technology supply and costs, and mechanisms to support convergence in approaches to CER-grid integration. This should extend to WA and NT jurisdictional requirements.
* See National CER Roadmap p.21 ** p.16 & 24
D. Interoperability and standards
Key consultation outcomes
EV-EVSE interoperability – CHAdeMO is likely to be phased out for new vehicles entering our market in the coming years and the CCS-framework, using ISO 15118 will underpin interoperable bidirectional charging operation in Australia. The standard is ready to support DC bidirectional use-cases and work is underway to better standardise for AC use-cases.
Early EV bidirectional product releases may rely on legacy and proprietary protocols (e.g. custom ISO 15118-2 and -20 extensions or OEM APIs). Most stakeholders considered this should be allowed to facilitate early market development and to reduce product complexity for customers prior to ISO 1511820 becoming more widely adopted. There was however significant concern that the use of legacy or proprietary protocols could create adverse outcomes for consumers if it persists. For example, this could provide an impediment to consumer choice and to the development of competitive market development if consumers are unable to effectively integrate their V2G system with new service and product offerings into the future.
Local EVSE control – Market momentum is consolidating around OCCP 2.0.1 to support interoperable remote management of EVSE. The need for local control is significantly higher in the Australian market due to the requirement of CSIP-AUS that embedded generators (e.g., solar, batteries, V2G) can be orchestrated locally in the event of a loss of communications. Local protocol support, such as via Modbus, will be an essential feature for customers with multiple generating devices if they are to participate in flexible export and emergency backstop schemes.
Non-discriminatory access – There were different views among stakeholders as to whether automakers should be required to offer enabled bidirectional charging features for third party control. A few stakeholder considered it reasonable that automakers ‘own’ the ongoing service offering if customers provide informed consent. Most considered it preferable for consumers that automakers be required to support third party service provision. This is made possible by the widespread adoption of ISO 15118-20.
An analogy for ‘discriminatory access’ is mobile phones being locked to a specified mobile network. V2G technologies have high upfront and ongoing costs implications for customers and so the risks of ‘customer lock-in’ may be significantly higher.
Clear market guidance – Closely linked to the need to provide clarity on Australia’s emerging smart grid and grid connection frameworks is the need to establish clear direction on interoperability requirement across e-mobility ecosystems. Stakeholders commonly considered Australian should establish a near-term requirement for CCS2, ISO 15118-20 & OCPP 2.0.1 for publiclyfunded private and public charging infrastructure as well as subsequent minimum interoperability standards for local control for all EVSE. This could include independent certification to ensure true ‘plug & play’ interoperability.
Standards engagement and support – Several supply chain stakeholders noted that Australia’s interests are underrepresented in international standards fora, and we do not actively support product homologation for our market as is done elsewhere. This reduces awareness of Australian requirements and increases the risk of standards misalignment.
D. Interoperability and standards
Objective
The objective of this package of actions is to establish a clear policy direction on interoperability standards to enable efficient business and consumer investment, protect consumer CER integration choices and support competitive market development
Recommended actions
D1. CER Roadmap project T.1* formally establish and communicate a market direction towards ISO 15118-20 and OCPP 2.0.1 as future minimum requirements for EVSE.
D2. Minimum interoperability requirements established for solar inverters, EVSE and other capital and high-power CER, including open local interface requirements.
D3. From 2026, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) explore the need for non-discriminatory access requirements as a voluntary or mandatory industry code.
D4. ARENA consider targeted funding support for EV and EVSE vendors homologating for the Australian market including through informal collaborations and events like ‘testivals’ as is done in other markets.
D5. The Australian Government support industry to engage more proactively with international standards development processes, including boosting representation in relevant groups such IEA Task 53, ISO, IEC, IEEE, CharIN and the Open Charge Alliance.
Key consultation outcomes
Consumer appetite – Stakeholders overwhelmingly considered there was strong potential for Australian mainstream consumers to engage with, and benefit from, bidirectional EV charging products and services. International and local studies indicate that financial returns and climate action are likely to be the most resonant and enduring reasons for customers to invest. Early adopters will also need the means and motivation to navigate a range of early-market costs and risks.
Establishing a clear national policy direction is likely to further stimulate public interest and build confidence in bidirectional EV charging.
Public education – While OEMs were considered responsible for the marketing of new products and services, many stakeholders see targeted public education playing an important role in building foundational community awareness of, and trust in bidirectional charging. Public information campaigns can shape and support a positive narrative, inform investment decisions and related social practices, and accelerate community connection to our energy transition. This may be done directly, with messaging coming from governments, or via support for third party, trusted information sources.
Even basic information such as ‘what is V2G?’ and ‘when will it be available?’ is likely to be useful where it is from a trusted source. As the market is likely to evolve quickly, ongoing investment will be required to keep information current. This could be supported by customer case studies, social media engagement and online decision-support tools.
Objective: Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations
Objective: Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations
It was broadly considered that many mainstream consumers would need strong, evidence-based assurances about the impact of bidirectional charging on battery degradation. Early consumers will need to have a higher level of energy technology literacy to navigate products and retail plans to ensure they are able to access the full value of the equipment they have invested in.
Sales channel capability – CER installers and car retailers (including under dealership and agency models) play important and complementary roles in shaping customer investment decisions. Many stakeholders raised the need for these engagements to be supported by quality, nationally-consistent information and training in bidirectional EV charging products and services and how electricity retail plans will impact their return on investment.
Legacy CHAdeMO vehicles – It is estimated that within a few years there could be a pool of >30,000 V2G-capable Nissan LEAFs and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV customers in Australia that will not be able to access bidirectional EVSE that meet our grid codes. Some of these customers purchased these vehicles due to their bidirectional capabilities and they have been left stranded by failures in our (AS/NZ 4777.2) standards development and product certification frameworks.
Although not considered a priority by all stakeholders, several considered more could be done to support these customers realise the bidi potential of their vehicles. This could be a low-cost way to achieve faster community awareness and acceptance.
Objective
The objective of this package of actions is to ensure Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations as they engage with bidirectional charging products and services.
Recommended actions
E1. Government and industry collaborate to develop a Vehicle-Grid Information Network (VGIN) to enable inter-industry collaboration and oversee development of frontline information and education on bidirectional charging. A central goal of VGIN would be to support sales channels including dealerships and CER installers with consistent, evidence-based information. This group should include automakers, consumer advocates, OEMs, CER installers, network business and electricity retailers.
E2. Government and industry collaborate on communication strategies to increase broader CER energy literacy including awareness of bidirectional charging. This could be delivered by government or trusted third parties that are able to produce quality online and social media content and host information events.
E3. Industry explore options for targeted support to existing Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV owners to give them the ability to undertake V2G. This could include supporting the homologation of a bidirectional CHAdeMO EVSE for the Australian market.
Objective: Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations
Objective: Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations
Minimum product requirements and labelling
Participants in the roadmap codesign workshop considered it important that Australia adopt a clear and internationally aligned (e.g. California SB59) definitions for bidirectional charging EVs and EVSEs that could be used as a basis for incentive scheme design or for NVES super credit allocation. This could be extended to consumer product labelling to help consumers compare product features and limitations. Definitions and information could cover:
• Open protocol support (E.g. ISO 15118-20, OCPP 2.1, Modbus)
• EV warranty constraints on bidirectional charge operation
National roadmap for bidirectional EV charging
Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations Objective: Australian consumers are informed, supported and empowered to meet their needs and aspirations
A4 & B3 Non-residential pilot funding
A1. V2G policy vision announced
A2. National V2G strategy announced
B3. Funding for non-resi pilots & studies
B2. V2G installation rebates announced
B1. Dynamic network tariff rule change request
C1. National Smart Grid Architecture objective
C2. ECMC agree harmonisation agenda
C3. National consistency rule change request
D1. Establish clear market direction for ISO 15118-20 and OCPP 2x
D5. International engagement strategy
E1. VGIN established
E1. Common bidi definitions established
E3. Funding secured for CHAdeMO EVSE homologation
E2. Communication campaign commences
B2. Installation rebates available
C1. National Smart Grid resource portal
D2. OCPP 2x and local control for all publicly funded EVSE
D4. First Australian V2G ‘testival
NVES review
E3. CHAdeMO EVSE available
B1. Rule change in effect
C2. NEM jurisdictional harmonisation achieved
C3. Rule change in effect
D3. ACCC review of EV/EVSE access arrangements
E3. >2000 CHAdeMO bidi customers
B1. Dynamic network tariffs widely available
C3. WA and NT alignment
C3. Next round of distribution network determinations commence
D2. Minimum standards for all EVSE (OCPP 2x, ISO 15118-20 local control)
A3.
Appendix
AC Alternating Current
AS/NZ 4777.1:2024 Australia’s installation standard for grid-connected inverters
AS/NZ 4777.2:2020 Australia’s product standard for grid-connected inverters
Augex Network augmentation expenditure
BESS Battery energy storage system
Bidi Bidirectional EV charging
BPT Bidirectional power transfer
AEMO Australian Energy Market Operator
ARENA The Australian Renewable Energy Agency
BMS Battery Management System
CCS Combined Charging System (for AC and DC charging)
CER, DER Consumer Energy Resource, Distributed Energy Resource
CHAdeMO A standard for EV-EVSE connection and interoperability origination from Japan
CharIN A global association promoting standards for EV charging systems
CPO Charge Point Operator (responsible for charge session management)
CSIP-Aus Common Smart Inverter Profile – Australia, used to communicate dynamic operating envelopes and related information between Australian electricity distribution networks and customer devices. Based on IEEE 2030.5
CSMS Charging Station Management System
DC Direct Current
DOE Dynamic operating envelopes
DSO/DNSP Distribution System Operator / Distribution Network Service Provider (same thing)
ECMC Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council
EMS, HEMS Energy Management System, Home Energy Management Systems
EV, BEV, PHEV Electric vehicle, Battery Electric Vehicle, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
EVSE Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
IEEE 2030.5 A protocol that standardises communications between utilities and customer devices. In Australia, this has been adapted as CSIP-Aus.
FCAS Frequency Control Ancillary Services
ICE Internal combustion engine
ISO International Standards Organisation
ISO 15118 An international set of standards defining EV-EVSE communications.
MCS Megawatt Charging Standard (a CCS derivative)
NEM National Electricity Market (consisting of 5 jurisdictional markets: QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS, SA)
NER National Electricity Rules
OBC On-board charger. In the context of this report, it can infer a bidirectional combined inverter-charger, though is still referred throughout as an ‘OBC’.
OCPP Open Charge Point Protocol
PKI Public Key Infrastructure
SoC EV battery state of charge (% of rated capacity)
ToU Time-of-use (tariffs)
V2G Vehicle-to-Grid (a form of bidirectional EV charging)
V2H/B Vehicle-to-Home or Vehicle-to-Building (a form of bidirectional EV charging)
V2L Vehicle-to-Load (a form of bidirectional EV charging)
V2X Vehicle-to-Everything (covering all forms of bidirectional EV charging)
VGI Vehicle-grid integration
VGIC Vehicle Grid Integration Council (US)
Disclaimer
This Roadmap was commissioned by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and RACE for 2030 (RACE). The report presents the findings of enX, which was engaged to facilitate stakeholder discussion and prepare recommendations for a National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging.
The paper is provided as is, without any guarantee, representation, condition or warranty of any kind, either express, implied or statutory. ARENA, RACE and enX do not assume any liability with respect to any reliance placed on this report by third parties. If a third party relies on the report in any way, that party assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information contained in the report. To the best of ARENA, RACE and enX’s knowledge, no conflict of interest arose while preparing this report.
This work is copyright, the copyright being owned by the enX. Except for the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the logo of ARENA and RACE and other third-party material protected by intellectual property law, this copyright work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. Wherever a third party holds copyright in material presented in this work, the copyright remains with that party. Their permission may be required to use the material.
Except for the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, enX has made all reasonable efforts to: clearly label material where the copyright is owned by a third party; and ensure that the copyright owner has consented to this material being presented in this work. Under this licence you are free to copy, communicate and adapt the work, so long as you attribute the work to enX and abide by the other licence terms. A copy of the licence is available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/. Requests and enquiries concerning rights should be addressed to arena@arena.gov.au.
Acknowledgements
enX, ARENA and RACE would like to acknowledge and thank all parties who made time to participate in the consultation process: Nissan, Polestar, Renault, Tesla Motors, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Ford, The Australian Energy Regulator, Energy Consumers Australia, Monash University, Electric Vehicle Council, Australian EV Association, Electric Future, Jetcharge, Net Zero Engineering Solutions, JLL, EVSE Australia, Ambibox, Sigenergy, Red Earth, Fermata Energy, StarCharge, Next-Dimension, IEA Task 53, Australian National University, California Energy Commission, University of Technology Sydney, ACT Government, Amber Electric, German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Evergen, Kaluza, SwitchDin, AGL, Combined Energy Technologies, Reposit, The Mobility House, ActewAGL, Australian Energy Market Operator, CharIN, CSIRO, Dekra, NewVolt, Weavegrid, Delta, Team Global Express, US Department of Energy, Synergy, QLD Government, Smart Energy Council, Clean Energy Council, Ausgrid, CitiPower, Powercor & United Energy, Endeavour Energy, Energy Queensland, Essential Energy, Evoenergy, South Australia Power Networks and Western Power.
Special thanks go to enX’s project delivery partners Endgame Economics, ThinkPlace, Watture and Vehicle-Grid Integration Council.
