Two weeks ago, I caught a glimpse of the future of EV charging at We Drive Solar in Hengelo: a demo of alternating current (AC) vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology enabled by a WeDriveSolar charging station and the brand-new electric Renault 5.
🙋♀️What is V2G?
V2G allows EVs to not just consume energy but also feed it back to the grid when needed. This can help balance renewable energy use, reducing grid congestion, and also lower energy costs for EV owners. It’s an absolute gamechanger—but until now, it’s felt like a technology stuck in the future.
🤔Why is this exciting?
This demonstration brought V2G to life in 2025 with a real-world setup:
▪ The Renault 5 negotiated with an AC charger to schedule energy requirements and V2G availability.
▪ The vehicle alternated between charging and discharging at a power of up to 11kW, proving that consumer-ready vehicles can support grid services today.
▪ Crucially, this was the first demonstration of AC V2G I have ever seen.
👏AC makes all the difference here!
Existing V2G demonstrations worked using direct current (DC) charging stations, which are costly and typically installed in places where vehicles don’t park for very long and users would not want to discharge their batteries. AC V2G, on the other hand, can work with the lower-cost charging hardware already widespread in public and private charging applications. This makes the potential benefits of V2G—grid stabilization and cost savings—far more accessible to consumers, charge point operators (CPOs), and distribution system operators (DSOs) alike.
🏔Challenges to overcome
Of course, there are many remaining hurdles:
▪ Industry standards like OCPP 2.x and ISO 15118-20 are still in early development stages.
▪ The financial incentives for vehicle owners to participate in grid services barely exist.
▪ The collaboration across the value chain required to scale V2G is mostly uncharted territory.
🌈What’s next?
This technology will soon be piloted in cities like Utrecht and Amsterdam, where car-share service MyWheels is pairing the Renault 5 with AC V2G capable charging stations. As car-share vehicles have predictable energy requirements and parking times, they are excellently positioned to support the grid without compromising users’ mobility needs. In addition, this closed ecosystem approach will enable real world development of V2G technology as the standards around it evolve.
🌞 Imagine a future....
Where affordable charging stations enable any EV to stabilize a primarily renewables based grid, while parked. Smart integration across the value chain unlocks rewards for consumers, fleet operators and CPO’s alike. This demonstration is a step toward that reality, and the timeline may be shorter than many expect.
What do you think? Is DC V2G dead? How close are we to seeing V2G technology scale? And who do you think will lead this transition—OEMs, grid operators, or CPO’s?
Let me know your thoughts below!