Vehicle-Grid Network

With EV sales rising, there is increasing potential to use EVs as flexible battery energy storage to reduce household and business energy bills and support the energy grid.

Recent product launches, partnership announcements, and media attention are fuelling interest, and early pilots are aiming to demonstrate the potential system and consumer benefits. 
 
Yet, the industry is still developing. The availability of V2G-enabled vehicles and bidirectional chargers is increasing, but the pathway to adoption isn’t yet simple or frictionless. Consumers and businesses are still navigating complex questions around compatibility, connection approvals, local certification, warranties, and retail and Virtual Power Plant program participation. Industry and government are supporting emerging business models and customer value propositions, and streamlined certifications, standards, and regulations, however variations exist across use cases and regions. 
 
These conditions make it difficult and costly for any single organisation to move quickly or confidently to create the market on their own.

To address this gap, the Vehicle-Grid Network (VGN) is being established as Australia’s first collaboration network for accelerating electric vehicle-to-grid integration. The project in partnership with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the RACE for 2030 CRC, is led by Climate-KIC Australia and the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney. 

VGN will be a national point of synthesis on V2G. It aims to connect and amplify efforts across the ecosystem, streamline processes, create local and international market signals, and embed emerging evidence into policy and industry decision-making. 

Why it matters

Australia’s energy and transport sectors are transforming rapidly. EVs can play a critical role in supporting the grid, but fragmentation risks slowing that progress. VGN aims to address these gaps by building a nationally coordinated network that fosters collaboration, accelerates innovation, and ensures Australia leads in clean mobility and energy integration. 

“The Vehicle-Grid Network builds on RACE for 2030's partnership with ARENA in producing the National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging,” said Oliver Hill, Program Leader – RACE for Electric Vehicles. 
  
“This network will serve as a national point of synthesis for research and knowledge, showcasing the depth of expertise and leadership actively contributing to innovative Distributed Energy Resource management in Australia.”

Clean Energy Finance Corporation Executive Director, Richard Lovell said, “Vehicle-to-grid technology is vital for a cleaner, more resilient energy system. Enabling EVs to share power with the grid improves stability and empowers consumers to play an active role in Australia’s energy future.”