2025-05-15
The Victorian Greens have successfully secured a parliamentary inquiry to investigate how we can unlock the full potential of electric vehicles (EV) to power our homes and the grid.
The inquiry will explore how electric vehicles can best support Victoria’s energy system without putting increased pressure on the during peak demand, and utilise them during times when renewable energy is plentiful.
EV batteries are around five times the size of household batteries and most trips only use a small portion of that stored power leaving plenty of capacity to power a home in the evening.
Australians bought 91,000 EVs last year with a combined battery storage capacity roughly equivalent* to all the big batteries built or under construction in Victoria, illustrating the storage potential of EVs.
The inquiry will consider how to make best use of this capacity, while avoiding a tangle of power cords snaking across inner city footpaths and uncoordinated, ill-timed demand on the grid.
And when drivers want to replace a tired old battery with reduced range, the inquiry will examine whether old EV batteries can have a second life as stationary household or community batteries.
Terms of reference include:
• Measures to reduce EV charging during peak demand and increase it during periods of peak renewable supply
• Whether public charging infrastructure is being rolled out at sufficient rates across different areas, including older suburbs with limited off-street parking
• The role of electricity distributors in EV charging rollout and how network tariffs should be set
• How to support broader EV take-up, including enabling bi-directional charging
• The potential for old EV batteries to be reused in household or community energy storage
• Opportunities and barriers in battery manufacturing, reconditioning, and recycling in Victoria
• Any other related matters
Quotes attributable to the Victorian Greens MP, Dr Tim Read:
“We’ve secured this important inquiry because electric vehicles aren’t just a way to get from A to B - they're batteries on wheels which can power your home or the grid. With the right policy settings, EVs can help more Victorians cut emissions, support our electricity grid, and lower energy bills.
“If we get this right, there will be synergy between EVs and a fully renewable energy grid, each supporting the other. The climate emergency means there’s no time to stuff it up.”
*Victoria currently has about 4.7 GWh of storage in big batteries built or under construction, equivalent to the storage capacity of 78,000 EV batteries (60kWh).