Saturday 1 November marked a milestone moment for Australia's energy transition. The Hon Chris Bowen MP visited the Sydney home of Ben and Jo Marshan to launch the first residential vehicle-to-grid (V2G) installation as part of Amber and ARENA's groundbreaking trial.
And he didn't just watch from the sidelines. Minister Bowen plugged in Ben's EV, activating V2G capabilities for the first time and officially kicking off a trial that will reshape how Aussie households use energy.
Your car, your grid, your earnings
Here's what's exciting about V2G: it turns your electric vehicle into a giant battery on wheels. When you're not driving, your EV can send power back to the grid during peak demand periods, helping to stabilise the system while earning you money in the process.
For Ben, this means his EV isn't just transport anymore. It's an energy asset that works for him around the clock, responding automatically to real-time wholesale energy prices.
Just like Amber's existing battery customers who earned thousands during recent grid events by exporting at high wholesale prices, V2G opens up the same opportunity for EV owners. Your car can charge when wholesale prices are low (or even negative) and export when prices spike, all automated in the background.
Why this matters
Australia's leading the world in rooftop solar uptake, but we're still figuring out how to balance supply and demand as more renewables come online. EVs are part of the answer.
With V2G technology, the thousands of EVs expected to hit Australian roads in the coming years can act as distributed energy storage, soaking up cheap renewable energy when it's abundant and feeding it back when it's needed most.
This trial, supported by $3.2 million in ARENA funding, will test how V2G works in real Australian homes, refining the technology and paving the way for broader rollout. Together with BYD, StarCharge, NRMA, the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, and iMove, we're bringing the critical expertise needed to make V2G work in real Australian homes and on our grid, building something that could transform how millions of Aussies use energy.
Minister Bowen's visit highlighted the potential for V2G to help everyday Australians take control of their energy costs while accelerating our shift to renewables.
"This installation proves that vehicle-to-grid technology isn't just technically possible - it's commercially viable for everyday Australians. With millions of EVs expected on our roads in just a few years, we have an unprecedented opportunity to turn those batteries on wheels into a solution for grid stability and renewable energy storage," said Chris Thompson, Co-CEO of Amber.
"When households participate in the energy transition, they should benefit directly - and that's exactly what this technology delivers.”
“This is a landmark moment for Australia’s energy system.” said Darren Miller, CEO of ARENA. “Vehicle-to-grid technology has the potential to transform how we think about and deploy energy storage and grid support. By enabling Australians to participate in the energy market through their EVs, we’re unlocking new value streams and building a more resilient, renewable-powered future.”
What Ben's getting out of it
As a trial participant, Ben gets early access to cutting-edge tech that responds to wholesale energy prices in real time. This means he can:
- Use an Amber-supplied V2G charger to connect his EV to the home and grid
- Charge his EV when wholesale electricity prices are low (or even negative during peak solar generation)
- Power his home directly from his car battery (V2H
- Earn money by automatically exporting power back to the grid when wholesale prices are high
- Access the same wholesale pricing that lets Amber customers pay the true cost of energy with no retailer markup
- Support grid stability without lifting a finger (our tech handles it all based on wholesale market signals)
It's the same transparent, real-time wholesale pricing model that Amber customers already use to shift their energy usage to cheaper and greener times.
What's next
This is just the beginning. Over the coming months, more households will join the trial, testing V2G across different scenarios and grid conditions. The insights we gather will shape how V2G rolls out nationally, making it easier and more rewarding for EV owners to support the grid.
The ARENA-funded V2G trial is being delivered by Amber in partnership with industry leaders to test and refine vehicle-to-grid technology for Australian conditions. To learn more about the trial and join our waitlist, click here.
