The future of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) in Australia

2023-03-29

Canberra continues to charge forward, officially going live with its world first project that demonstrates how V2G services can be technically and economically viable in Australia.

In 2020, the ACT Government welcomed the Realising Electric Vehicles to Grid Services (REVS) trial as part of the Government's commitment to an electric vehicle fleet and 100% renewable electricity for the ACT.

This nation leading trial utilised a fleet of 51 Nissan Leaf vehicles to explore the ability of electric vehicles to provide frequency regulation services to the National Electricity Market (NEM).

The ACT Government remains committed to reducing transport emissions to create a healthier and more sustainable future for the ACT. Transport is the single largest contributor to the Territory’s greenhouse gas emissions, making up over 60% of the total.

The REVS project was co-funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the ACT Government and led by ActewAGL Retail in partnership with Evoenergy, Nissan, Jetcharge, SgFleet, the Australian National University and Accenture.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury:

“Now that we have achieved 100% renewable electricity in the ACT, we need to significantly reduce emissions from transport to reach our goal of net zero emissions by 2045.

“This trial has demonstrated that fleet EVs could play a vital role in supporting our energy grid and in boosting energy security. The insights gained from the past two years will be particularly beneficial during times of peak power usage as a way of balancing renewable energy delivered to the grid.

“In the future, we hope this can extend to Canberrans’ privately owned electric vehicles, providing EV owners with the opportunity to send energy stored in their car’s on-board battery back into their own homes or the electricity grid.

“South Australia has proven it is possible after becoming the first jurisdiction in Australia to approve a network connection of V2G services in a residential setting.

“There are a range of supports available to Canberrans looking to purchase an EV for their home or business. This includes two years free registration, stamp duty exemption and zero-interest loans as part of the Sustainable Household Scheme. We also offer a dedicated Business Fleet Advisory Service to support Canberra businesses and community organisations with transitioning their fleets to ZEVs.”

For more information on incentives for electric vehicles, visit the Everyday Climate Choices website.