Picture this: You’re at home during a power outage, but while your neighbors are fumbling around with flashlights, you’re keeping your fridge humming and your devices charged – all thanks to your electric car. Sounds like science fiction? It’s actually happening right now, and I experienced it firsthand with my BYD Atto 3.

When the power company decided to upgrade the main line in my area (great for the future, not so great for my frozen food), I discovered just how amazing my EV’s V2L feature really is. Instead of watching my groceries turn into expensive compost, I simply plugged my refrigerator and freezer into my car and kept everything running smoothly. It was like having a massive power bank on wheels!

This experience opened my eyes to the incredible potential of bidirectional charging technologies. Let me break down what V2L, V2G, and V2H actually mean and why they’re game-changers for anyone with an electric vehicle.

Topics

• What’s All This V2X Business About?
• V2L: Your Mobile Power Station
• V2H: Your Home’s New Battery System
• V2G: Getting Paid to Park
• Solar Power: The Perfect Partner
• The Ultimate Energy Setup: V2H + Home Battery + Solar
• Dynamic Energy Contracts: The Financial Game-Changer
• The Current Reality: What’s Available Now?
• Why This Matters More Than You Think
• My Real-World Experience: Lessons Learned
• The Bottom Line

What’s All This V2X Business About?

First things first – what do all these acronyms actually mean? Think of your EV not just as a car, but as a giant battery that happens to have wheels. Normally, electricity flows one way: from the grid to your car. But with bidirectional charging, it’s a two-way street.

V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) is the simplest of the bunch. Your car becomes a portable power station that can run regular household appliances through standard outlets built into the vehicle or via an adapter. It’s like having a silent, emission-free generator that never needs gas.

V2H (Vehicle-to-Home) takes things up a notch. Instead of just powering individual appliances, your entire home can run off your car’s battery during outages or peak pricing periods. Imagine your house powered by your parked EV!

V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) is the big picture solution. Your car doesn’t just take power from the electrical grid, it can give power back when the grid needs it most, potentially earning you money in the process.

V2L: Your Mobile Power Station

Let’s start with V2L because it’s the most accessible and immediately useful feature. V2L technology is much simpler as it does not require a bidirectional charger, which means it’s easier and cheaper to implement.

My BYD Atto 3 has a 2.4kW V2L capability, which might not sound like much, but it’s plenty for most household needs. During my recent power outage, I was able to run:

• My refrigerator (about 150W)
• My freezer (around 200W)
• LED lights throughout the house
• Phone chargers and laptops
• Even my coffee maker (because priorities!)

The beauty of V2L is its simplicity. Most vehicles with this feature have standard AC outlets built right in, no special equipment needed, or you need to use an adapter, that connects to the charging port. The new Kia EV9 has V2L capability via multiple power outlets for a total of 3.6kW of power, plus confirmed V2G/V2H hardware capability. Other vehicles with V2L technology include the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and 6, Kia EV6 and Niro, which have internal and external AC power outlets, and the BYD electric vehicle range, including the Dolphin, Seal, and Atto 3. The Cupra Born offers V2H and V2G capabilities through compatible bidirectional chargers, while Volkswagen’s ID.3 and ID.4 models now feature V2H functionality with their latest software updates.

Who has V2L right now (a couple examples)?

• BYD vehicles (Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal) – up to 3.6kW
• Hyundai IONIQ 5 & 6 – 3.6kW
• Kia EV6, EV9, & Niro – 3.6kW
• MG ZS EV and MG4 – 2.2kW
• Cupra Born (V2H/V2G via bidirectional charger)
• Volkswagen ID.3 & ID.4 – V2H capability
• XPeng G6 – 3.3kW

V2H: Your Home’s New Battery System

V2H is where things get really interesting for homeowners. Vehicle-to-home (V2H) is similar to V2G, but the energy is used locally to power a home instead of being fed into the electricity grid. Think of it as turning your EV into a massive home battery system.

The numbers are impressive: a typical home battery system, such as the Tesla Powerwall, has a capacity of 13.5kWh (of course this can be extended with multiple batteries). In contrast, an average EV has a capacity of 65kWh, equivalent to almost five Tesla Powerwalls. That’s serious backup power!

Due to the large battery capacity, a fully charged EV could support an average home for several consecutive days or much longer when combined with rooftop solar.

For V2H to work properly, you need:

• A compatible EV (currently limited to certain models)
• A bidirectional charger
• An energy meter to monitor power flow
• Grid isolation equipment for safety during outages

Currently, your V2H options include (some examples):

• Cupra Born (with bidirectional charger like Wallbox Quasar 2)
• Kia EV9 (confirmed V2G/V2H hardware)
• Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 (V2H with home energy management systems)
• Renault 5 (now with a nice pilot in Utrecht https://www.renault.nl/utrecht-energized.html)

V2G: Getting Paid to Park

V2G is the holy grail of bidirectional charging. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is where a small portion of the stored EV battery energy is exported to the electricity grid when needed, depending on the service arrangement.

Here’s why V2G is potentially revolutionary: A study by the University of Rochester found that V2G chargers can save electric vehicle owners $120 to $150 annually. But the bigger picture is even more exciting.

If thousands of vehicles with V2G technology are plugged in and enabled, this has the potential to transform how electricity is stored and generated on a massive scale. Instead of building expensive power plants that only run during peak demand, the grid could tap into millions of parked EVs.

The benefits are compelling:

• Cost savings: Charge when electricity is cheap, sell when it’s expensive
• Grid stability: Help balance supply and demand in real-time
• Environmental impact: Reduce the need for fossil fuel “peaker” plants
• Passive income: Get paid for services your parked car provides to the grid

How V2G Helps Stabilize the Grid

Think of the electrical grid as a giant balancing act. At every moment of every day, the amount of electricity being produced must exactly match the amount being consumed. Too much generation and equipment can be damaged. Too little and you get blackouts. This balancing act becomes increasingly challenging as we add more renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which are naturally variable.

This is where EV batteries become grid superheroes. Here’s how they help:

Frequency Regulation: The grid operates at a specific frequency (50Hz in Europe, 60Hz in North America). When demand suddenly spikes or renewable generation drops, the frequency can fluctuate. EV batteries can respond in milliseconds, either absorbing excess energy or providing power to keep the frequency stable.

Peak Shaving: During hot summer afternoons when everyone cranks up their air conditioning, electricity demand peaks. Instead of firing up expensive and polluting “peaker” plants, the grid can draw power from thousands of plugged-in EVs to meet this demand.

Load Balancing: Renewable energy doesn’t follow our schedules. Solar produces most power at midday when demand is often lower, while wind can blow strongest at night. EV batteries can store this excess renewable energy when it’s abundant and release it when it’s needed most.

Grid Services Revenue: Utilities are willing to pay for these stabilization services. EVs with V2G capability can participate in ancillary services markets, earning money by providing frequency regulation, spinning reserves, and demand response services. Your parked car literally becomes a grid asset earning passive income.

Solar Power: The Perfect Partner

Here’s where things get really exciting. When you combine bidirectional EV charging with solar panels, you create a powerful energy ecosystem. Solar energy is used to charge the EV during the day, and smart energy systems can optimise this based on generation, pricing, and battery state of charge.

The workflow is beautiful in its simplicity:

1. Morning: Your solar panels start generating power
2. Midday: Excess solar charges your EV battery
3. Evening: Your EV powers your home with stored solar energy
4. Night: Any remaining energy can be sold back to the grid (if you have V2G), or used by the house.

With a solar-compatible EV charger or hybrid inverter, you can charge your EV using power from your rooftop solar PV system. This creates true energy independence. You’re generating, storing, and using your own clean energy.

The Ultimate Energy Setup: V2H + Home Battery + Solar

Now imagine taking this energy ecosystem one step further by combining V2H with a traditional home battery system. This creates what could be called the “ultimate home energy setup”, a multi-layered approach to energy storage and management that maximizes both resilience and financial benefits.

How V2H and Home Batteries Work Together

When you combine a home battery (like a Haier, Sigenergy, Anker Solix) with V2H capability, you create a sophisticated energy management system with multiple storage tiers:

1 – Home Battery (Always Available): Your home battery serves as the primary backup power source, ready 24/7 whether your car is home or not. It typically handles daily cycling – storing excess solar during the day and powering your home at night.

2 – EV Battery (When Parked): Your car’s much larger battery capacity kicks in for extended outages, seasonal storage, or when you want to maximize your solar investment. With 3-5 times the storage capacity of most home batteries, your EV can handle multi-day power outages or store massive amounts of cheap/free solar energy.

Intelligent Energy Management: Smart energy management systems can orchestrate between these storage sources, optimizing for:

• Cost savings: Use the cheapest stored energy first
• Battery longevity: Minimize cycling on the more expensive home battery
• Grid services: Let the EV handle grid stabilization while the home battery manages household needs
• Availability: Ensure critical home functions continue even when the car is away

The Financial Benefits of Dual Storage

This dual-battery approach can significantly enhance your energy economics:

Enhanced Solar ROI: With both home and EV storage available, you can capture and use virtually 100% of your solar production, even during extended sunny periods when one battery might be full.

Dynamic Tariff Optimization: Having multiple storage systems means you can play energy markets more aggressively, store cheap overnight power in both systems and sell back during peak periods.

Reduced Peak Demand Charges: For homes with demand-based billing, having multiple batteries means you can completely eliminate grid consumption during peak rate periods.

Emergency Resilience: A 13.5kWh home battery might last 1-2 days during an outage. Add a 75kWh EV battery, and you could potentially run essential loads for weeks.

Smart Energy Management in Practice

Here’s how a typical day might work with this combined system (example):

6:00: Solar panels start generating, first charging the home battery to ensure 24/7 home coverage

10:00: Home battery full, excess solar starts charging the EV (which was plugged in overnight)

14:00: Both batteries full, excess solar exports to grid for maximum profit

17:00: Peak rates kick in, home battery powers the house while EV stays charged for grid services

22:00: Off-peak rates begin, EV can participate in grid stabilization services while home battery handles household loads

1:00: Super cheap rates, any available capacity in both systems charges from grid for tomorrow’s arbitrage opportunities

Technology Requirements

To make this work effectively, you need:

• Smart Energy Management System (EMS): A “brain” that coordinates between solar, home battery, EV, and grid
• Compatible Hardware: Home battery and EV charger that can communicate with the EMS
• Dynamic Energy Contract: Time-of-use or real-time pricing to maximize arbitrage opportunities
• Proper Load Management: Systems that can prioritize critical vs. non-critical loads during outages

The Future Vision

As this technology matures, we could see homes becoming true energy prosumers, generating, storing, and selling energy as a profitable side business. Your home becomes a micro power plant that:

• Provides grid stability services during the day
• Stores renewable energy when it’s abundant
• Sells energy back during peak demand
• Maintains complete energy independence during outages

The combination of solar, home batteries, and EV bidirectional charging could make homes not just energy-neutral, but energy-positive. Actually earning money from their energy systems while providing grid services to their communities.

Dynamic Energy Contracts: The Financial Game-Changer

Here’s where dynamic energy pricing makes all these technologies financially attractive. Traditional electricity rates are flat – you pay the same whether you use power at 2:00 or 18:00. But dynamic contracts adjust pricing based on real-time supply and demand.

With a dynamic energy contract and bidirectional charging, you can:

• Buy low: Charge your EV when renewable energy is abundant and cheap (often overnight or during sunny afternoons)
• Sell high: Export energy during peak demand periods when prices spike
• Avoid peaks: Use your stored energy instead of expensive grid power during prime time

This arbitrage opportunity can significantly offset your electricity costs and even generate income. Combined with solar panels, some EV owners are achieving net-positive energy bills – meaning they make more from selling energy than they spend buying it.

The Current Reality: What’s Available Now?

Let’s be honest, we’re still in the early days. The availability of electric cars with bidirectional charging remains limited at present, but the situation is improving rapidly.

The Netherlands: A Reality Check

Before you get too excited about V2G and V2H possibilities, there’s an important caveat for those of us living in the Netherlands: bidirectional charging (V2G and V2H) is not yet legally permitted under current Dutch legislation. While the technology exists and many EVs support these features, the legal framework to implement this functionality broadly is missing.

The main obstacle is what’s called “double energy taxation.” As a consumer, you pay energy tax when you draw power from the grid AND you pay tax again when you return that same power from your car’s battery back to the grid. This double taxation makes V2G economically unattractive and is one reason why it’s not yet widely implemented.

The Dutch government is currently working on a plan to prevent this double taxation, but until then, it’s not possible to use bidirectional charging in the Netherlands. Within the action agenda for Low Voltage Grid Congestion, they’re aiming to deliver an interdepartmental plan for bidirectional charging in 2025 (I’m curious if they will make it, I don’t think so).

There is some hope on the horizon: the European Union has set 2030 as the guideline for large-scale implementation of bidirectional charging, requiring all newly installed charging stations within the EU to be bidirectional capable. There’s already a pilot project running in Utrecht where some public charging stations are suitable for bidirectional charging. They are currently testing with Renault 5’s from MyWheels. Here they’re showing that the infrastructure can be ready for this technology.

So while V2L (using your car as a portable power station) works fine, like my experience with the BYD Atto 3, the more advanced V2G and V2H features will have to wait for regulatory changes in the Netherlands.

Available Now with V2L (again, some examples):

• BYD vehicles (Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal) – up to 3.6kW
• Hyundai IONIQ 5 & 6 – 3.6kW
• Kia EV6, EV9, & Niro – 3.6kW
• MG ZS EV and MG4 – 2.2kW
• Cupra Born (V2H/V2G via bidirectional charger)
• Volkswagen ID.3 & ID.4 – V2H capability
• XPeng G6 – 3.3kW

Available Now with V2H/V2G (some other examples):

• Cupra Born (with compatible bidirectional charger)
• Kia EV9 (V2G/V2H hardware confirmed)
• Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 (V2H capability)
• Renault 5

Why This Matters More Than You Think

The implications go far beyond just having backup power during outages. Through synergies between electric vehicles and the grid, we can create a more efficient and sustainable energy ecosystem, pushing us closer to a carbon-neutral future.

The Scale of the Opportunity

Consider the numbers: The average car sits parked 95% of the time. In many countries, there are already millions of EVs on the road, each carrying 50-100 kWh of battery capacity. If even a fraction of these vehicles participated in grid services, the collective impact would be massive.

For example, if just 1 million EVs each contributed 10 kWh during peak demand periods, that’s 10,000 MWh of storage, equivalent to several large power plants. This distributed network of batteries could provide:

Enhanced Grid Resilience: Instead of centralized power plants that can fail and leave entire regions in the dark, a distributed network of EV batteries creates redundancy. If one area loses power, neighboring EVs can help maintain stability.

Smoother Renewable Integration: As we build more solar farms and wind turbines, we need massive amounts of storage to handle their variability. Every EV with bidirectional charging becomes part of this storage solution, making renewable energy more reliable and cost-effective.

Reduced Infrastructure Costs: Building new power plants and transmission lines costs billions. Using existing EV batteries for grid services can defer or eliminate some of these expensive infrastructure investments, keeping electricity costs lower for everyone.

Emergency Response: During natural disasters or grid failures, a fleet of mobile batteries can provide critical power to hospitals, emergency services, and shelters. EVs can literally drive to where power is needed most.

Imagine a world where:

• Power outages become rare because millions of EVs provide distributed backup
• Renewable energy becomes more viable because EVs store excess generation
• Electricity costs drop because we need fewer expensive power plants
• Climate change slows because transportation and electricity both become cleaner
• Grid blackouts become virtually impossible due to distributed resilience

My Real-World Experience: Lessons Learned

Using my BYD Atto 3’s V2L during our recent power outage taught me several practical lessons:

What worked great:

• Easy to set up – just plug and play
• Silent operation (unlike a gas generator)
• No emissions or fuel needed
• Surprisingly powerful for essential needs

What to consider:

• Monitor your car’s battery level; you still need to drive!
• Have extension cords ready for emergencies
• Not all appliances work well with inverter power
• Plan your loads to avoid overwhelming the system

Pro tips:

• Keep your EV charged during storm season
• Know your car’s V2L power limits
• Consider which appliances are truly essential
• Have a backup plan for really long outages

The Bottom Line

V2L, V2H, and V2G technologies transform your electric vehicle from simple transportation into a key component of your home energy strategy. Whether you’re looking for emergency backup power, want to maximize your solar investment, or hope to earn money from dynamic energy markets, bidirectional charging opens up possibilities we never had with gas cars.

My experience with the BYD Atto 3 during our power outage was just a taste of what’s possible. As more vehicles add these capabilities and the supporting infrastructure develops, owning an EV will mean owning a piece of the energy future.

The transition is happening now, and early adopters have the most to gain. Whether you’re shopping for your next EV or planning a solar installation, keep bidirectional charging capabilities on your radar. Your future self, and your electric bill, will thank you.

For those of us in the Netherlands, we’ll need to be a bit more patient for the full V2G and V2H capabilities, but the foundation is being built now. The legal framework should be in place by 2025-2030, and when it arrives, we’ll be ready with the right vehicles and infrastructure.

What’s your experience with V2L, V2H, or V2G? Are you considering these features for your next EV purchase? The future of energy is literally parked in our driveways, and it’s more exciting than most people realize.