ARENA backs Australia’s largest commercial V2G deployment

Close-up view of electric vehicle charging (calculator EV)
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The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $4 million in funding to JET Charge to deliver Australia’s largest commercial deployment of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

The project, Realising Electric Vehicle-to-Grid Services 2 (REVS2), will see up to 130 electric vehicles and bidirectional chargers deployed across the ACT Government fleet.

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REVS2 builds on Australia’s first vehicle-to-grid trial, funded by ARENA in 2020. While that project showed electric vehicles could safely export electricity back to the grid, REVS2 will test the benefits of the technology in the everyday operations of a large commercial fleet.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project marked an important step in moving vehicle-to-grid technology from successful trials to widespread adoption.

“Electric vehicles have the potential to do much more than just move people and goods from A to B. They can also help support Australia’s electricity system by storing renewable energy and supplying it back to the grid when demand is high,” Miller said.

“This project builds on the success of Australia’s first vehicle-to-grid trial by tackling a key missing piece for bidirectional charging in Australia: how large fleets can be incentivised to support the grid while still meeting their day-to-day transport needs.

“It will provide real-world evidence on how fleets can be rewarded to use their electric vehicles to support the grid, helping make the switch to electric vehicles more attractive for fleet operators.”

REVS2 forms part of ARENA’s broader efforts to accelerate bidirectional charging in Australia, including funding the national Bidirectional Charging Roadmap in 2025.

“We know vehicle-to-grid technology works—we helped show that in the original REVS project,” JET Charge CEO Tim Washington said.

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“Now we need to prove it makes commercial sense. If we can help fleets reduce their operating costs by supporting the grid, that’s a business case any CEO can get behind. For JET Charge, it’s about speeding up the EV transition, and REVS2 can bring those benefits to many more Australian businesses.”

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