The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is expanding its support for energy retailer Amber Electric to help accelerate the rollout of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology across the nation.
ARENA is providing a AU$13.6 million funding boost to expand Amber’s EV charging project. The cash injection brings ARENA’s total commitment to the project to AU$16.8 million, allowing the trial to significantly scale up the number of Australian households utilising smart charging and V2G capabilities.
Under the expanded trial, the number of participating households equipped with V2G capability will jump from 50 to 1,000. This will enable a larger cohort of EV owners to export power from their car batteries back into the grid during peak times.
Additionally, standard smart charging enrolment will expand from 950 to 2,000 households, allowing participants to automatically charge their vehicles when electricity is cheapest and emissions are at their lowest.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the expansion aims to tackle the primary barriers preventing large-scale V2G deployment in Australia.
“To unlock V2G at scale, we need to bring together customers, car makers, networks and technology providers,” Miller said.
“A big part of that is giving manufacturers the confidence their vehicles will perform as expected, including through validated approaches to battery use and warranties.”
Miller added that the project demonstrates how EVs can become an active part of the energy system, resulting in savings for owners and better grid utilisation to drive down network costs for all consumers.
The project will collaborate with global car manufacturers, starting with Chinese EV giant BYD, to implement standardised charging frameworks.
The partnership will also address vehicle warranty concerns through real-world battery testing.
Building on Amber’s early progress, which has already seen 25 residential V2G sites completed, the expanded trial is expected to generate critical insights into customer behaviour and technology performance.
These findings will help shape future government policy and industry investment as Australia transitions to a smarter, renewable-led energy grid.
Unlocking V2G is a core focus under the Driving the Nation Program.
