Electric vehicles are more than just clean means of transportation—they are mobile storage devices with enormous potential for the energy system of the future. With bidirectional charging (V2X: Vehicle-to-Everything), electric vehicles can not only absorb electricity, but also feed it back into the home network (V2H), public buildings, apartment buildings, or the power grid (V2G). This has several advantages: it relieves the strain on grids, stabilizes the power supply, integrates volatile renewable energies, and offers users tangible financial savings.
However, despite mature technology, bidirectional charging is still not very widespread in Europe. A cross-industry initiative aims to change that: the Coalition of the Willing on Bidirectional Charging brings together players from the automotive industry, the energy sector, charging infrastructure, digitalization, research, and associations. Its goal: to create the conditions for bidirectional charging to become a reality across the board by 2030—as standard in vehicles, charging infrastructure, and the energy system.
Clear target horizon: 30% V2X-enabled vehicles by 2030. In a joint position paper, the alliance defines a roadmap for 2030:
According to the Coalition, the following steps are essential to enable the market ramp-up:
Particularly in light of the new EU requirements for grid flexibility and national decarbonization targets, one thing is clear: now is the time for implementation – not for further pilot projects. The technologies are ready for use; what is missing is a market- and legally compliant framework that enables investment and offers planning security. Together with the industry, bidirectional charging should become a European success story – for citizens, for businesses, and for the energy system of the future.