Australia’s electric vehicle market is moving into a new phase.
EV adoption is accelerating, vehicle-to-grid technology is moving from laboratory trials toward commercial products, apartment charging is becoming easier to retrofit, and new charging technologies are being developed to solve problems that traditional charging networks cannot easily address.
Those themes came together at the EV Infrastructure Summit in Sydney, where industry leaders, government representatives and technology companies discussed what is changing now — and what could become mainstream over the next few years.
The event covered three particularly important areas:
● Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging
● EV charging for apartments
● Vehicle-to-vehicle emergency charging
Together, they provide a useful snapshot of where Australia’s EV infrastructure is heading.
From potentially earning money by allowing an EV to support the electricity grid to charging an apartment building without massive electrical upgrades, the technology is moving beyond simply putting more plugs in the ground.
Key EV Infrastructure Takeaways From the Sydney Summit
Several themes stood out from the discussions.
EV adoption is accelerating
Australia has passed 20% EV share of new-car sales, according to the summit discussion, while almost half of new vehicles sold now carry some form of battery when fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are combined.
V2G is moving beyond theory
Vehicle-to-grid technology is still largely in the pilot phase in Australia, but commercial projects are emerging overseas and Australian trials are expanding.
Amber expects early participants in its V2G trial to potentially earn around 3,000 per year, while its trial is expected to scale from 50 to 1,000 participants with thousands more on the waiting list.
Apartment charging does not necessarily require enormous infrastructure upgrades
The ACT Government has installed hundreds of EV chargers in underground car parks and says load management can allow buildings to provide substantial charging capacity without simply increasing their existing electrical supply.
V2G may become mainstream within several years
Portia Rooney’s estimate from the summit was that standard, off-the-shelf bidirectional charging could be around three to five years away, although a major automaker moving first could accelerate adoption.
A new approach to EV roadside assistance is emerging
Alpine Energy’s MGEN M40 is a 40 kW DC vehicle-to-vehicle charging system designed to provide emergency energy to stranded EVs without requiring a conventional tow to a charging station.
What Is Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Charging?
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) allows an electric vehicle to do more than consume electricity.
Instead, energy can flow in both directions:
Grid → EV
and, when required:
EV → Grid
That turns an EV battery into a potentially flexible energy resource.
A typical EV might spend most of the day parked, even though it contains a large battery.
V2G creates the possibility of using some of that stored energy when the electricity system needs it while still ensuring the driver has enough charge for their next journey.
The concept sits within the broader category of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology.
What Are V2X, V2L, V2H and V2G?
The terminology can become confusing, so it helps to separate the main applications.
Vehicle-to-Load (V2L)
Vehicle-to-load allows an EV to supply electricity directly to appliances or equipment.
This can be useful for:
● Camping
● Construction work
● Tradespeople
● Outdoor events
● Emergency power
The vehicle effectively becomes a portable battery.
Vehicle-to-Home (V2H)
Vehicle-to-home allows an EV to supply electricity to a home.
Instead of simply charging the vehicle, the battery can potentially support household electricity demand.
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)
V2G takes the concept one step further.
The vehicle remains connected to the electricity network while electricity can flow back into the grid when required.
This can potentially allow EV owners to participate in energy markets and provide useful grid services.
Vehicle-to-X (V2X)
V2X is the umbrella term covering these different applications.
Portia Rooney describes three broad categories in the summit discussion: vehicle-to-load, off-grid backup and grid-connected bidirectional operation.
Can V2G Save EV Owners Money?
Potentially, yes.
One of the most interesting aspects of V2G is that an EV can become an energy asset rather than simply an electricity expense.
Amber’s early V2G trial results suggest participants could make around $2,000 to $3,000 per year from allowing their vehicles to discharge electricity to the grid under the trial structure.
However, that figure should not be interpreted as a guaranteed return for every EV owner.
Actual financial outcomes will depend on:
● Electricity prices
● Retailer arrangements
● V2G participation rules
● Vehicle compatibility
● Charger compatibility
● How often the battery is dispatched
● The amount of energy made available
● Driver requirements
● Battery management
The bigger opportunity is the concept itself.
An EV owner could potentially use the same battery for:
transport + home energy + grid services
That changes the economics of EV ownership.
Why Is V2G Still Not Available Everywhere?
The technology exists, but the ecosystem is complicated.
For V2G to become a mainstream consumer product, several pieces need to work together.
The Vehicle
The EV must support bidirectional charging.
Not every EV does.
The Charger
The charger must also support the appropriate bidirectional charging technology.
Grid Connection Requirements
The system must comply with electricity-network requirements.
Software
The vehicle, charger, retailer and grid-management systems need to communicate correctly.
Warranty
Vehicle manufacturers need to be comfortable supporting the battery and charging behaviour under bidirectional operation.
Interoperability
Different vehicle and charger manufacturers need to work together reliably.
That last point is particularly important.
A charger marketed as “V2G capable” is not necessarily guaranteed to work with every V2G-capable EV.
The summit discussion highlighted international work on interoperability and standards as an important part of solving this challenge.
How Long Until V2G Becomes Standard?
The summit’s answer was approximately three to five years for V2G to become widely available as standard, off-the-shelf technology.
That is an estimate, not a guaranteed timetable.
Adoption could happen faster if a major automaker decides to support V2G under warranty and uses the technology as a competitive advantage.
Australia is already seeing V2G activity through pilots, but consumers should distinguish between:
available in a pilot
and
available as a mainstream product supported by multiple vehicle manufacturers and electricity retailers.
Those are very different stages of market maturity.
What Is Australia’s V2G Market Doing Right Now?
V2G in Australia is still developing, but the market is moving beyond theoretical discussion.
The summit highlighted active work involving:
● Amber
● AGL
● Origin
● ARENA-supported trials
● Net Zero Engineering Solutions
● Batteries on Wheels
Amber’s trial was described as expanding from its initial 50 participants toward 1,000 participants, with an additional 7,000 people on the waiting list.
AGL and Origin were also identified as recruiting for V2G pilots.
That suggests Australia is moving through the critical stage of testing how vehicles, chargers, retailers and networks interact in real-world conditions.
What Can Australia Learn From the Netherlands?
The Netherlands provides an important example of what a commercial V2G ecosystem can look like.
We Drive Solar has around 500 V2G chargers and vehicles operating across a combination of public and private charging locations.
The system began in Utrecht with a Renault 5 car-sharing fleet.
When vehicles return to their charging locations, they can also provide electricity services to the local grid.
The project is notable because it is not just a technology demonstration.
According to the summit discussion, the ecosystem now includes production vehicles, commercial charging infrastructure and an energy retailer.
The Netherlands therefore provides Australia with a potential blueprint:
vehicle + charger + retailer + grid operator + software
All the pieces need to work together.
Why AC V2G Could Become Important
The summit discussion identified two broad technology pathways:
DC Bidirectional Charging
The power conversion equipment sits in the charger.
AC Bidirectional Charging
The conversion happens inside the vehicle, with the charger providing the appropriate connection and controls.
Portia Rooney described AC as potentially the lower-cost pathway over the long term, provided vehicles and chargers can work together within Australia’s grid requirements.
This is why interoperability and grid-code alignment matter so much.
A technically capable device is not enough.
It needs to work inside the rules of the Australian electricity system.
Origin’s $800-a-Month EV Subscription Idea
Another interesting concept discussed at the summit was an EV subscription model from Origin.
The proposal described at the event involved approximately $800 per month for a BYD Atto 3, a V2G charger and home charging, with the customer not owning the vehicle.
This is an interesting shift in the way EV ownership could work.
Instead of consumers buying:
car + charger + electricity
they could potentially buy:
transport + charging + energy management
as one subscription.
The retailer could then manage the energy asset and potentially capture the value created by V2G participation.
The podcast discussion also noted that the proposal was still light on detail and was not presented as an immediately available mainstream product.
V2G Could Change the Economics of EV Ownership
The deeper idea behind V2G is not simply that a driver gets paid to send power to the grid.
It is that an EV battery could serve several purposes throughout the day.
For example:
Morning: Drive to work.
Daytime: Vehicle remains parked and charges from solar or the grid.
Afternoon: Vehicle participates in a demand-response event.
Evening: Vehicle returns home and provides power to the house.
Night: The battery remains available for driving the following day.
That creates much more value from the same battery.
This is particularly relevant as EV battery sizes continue to provide substantial energy storage compared with typical household electricity consumption.
Apartment EV Charging: The Big Infrastructure Challenge
EV adoption creates a problem for apartment buildings.
A detached home can often install a charger in its garage relatively easily.
An apartment building may have:
● Hundreds of residents
● Shared parking
● Limited electrical capacity
● Complex switchboards
● Multiple owners
● Strata approval requirements
● Limited space for infrastructure
● Uncertain future demand
That can make EV charging look extremely expensive.
The ACT Government’s experience suggests there is another approach.
Why Underground Car Parks Could Be the Cheapest Place for EV Charging
This may be one of the most surprising findings from the summit.
Apartment owners often assume that underground parking is difficult and expensive to retrofit for EV charging.
According to Alex Killeen of the ACT Government, the opposite can be true.
The ACT has installed hundreds of EV chargers in underground car parks and found them to be among the cheapest locations because there is no requirement for extensive civil construction work.
The infrastructure can often use:
● Existing parking spaces
● Cable trays
● Existing electrical pathways
● Load-management systems
This can significantly reduce installation complexity.
What Is EV Charger Load Management?
Load management is one of the most important technologies for apartment EV charging.
Instead of assuming every charger will draw its maximum power simultaneously, a load-management system dynamically distributes the available electricity.
For example, suppose an apartment building has limited spare electrical capacity.
Rather than upgrading the entire electrical connection immediately, the building could use software to allocate available capacity across connected vehicles.
One car might charge at full speed while others receive lower charging rates.
Later, when electricity demand falls, charging can increase.
This means a building can potentially support many EV chargers without requiring a matching increase in peak electrical capacity.
The ACT Government identified load management as one of the reasons apartment buildings can do much more with their existing electricity supply than many owners assume.
Do Apartments Need a Massive Electrical Upgrade for EV Charging?
Not necessarily.
A building does need a suitable charging strategy, but the answer is not always:
“Upgrade the entire building’s power supply.”
Instead, a properly planned apartment charging system can combine:
● Load management
● Charging schedules
● Shared infrastructure
● A backbone electrical system
● Individual charger connections
● Future expansion capability
The ACT Government’s model described at the summit is to install a backbone system first, then allow residents to add their own chargers progressively.
That approach can avoid trying to install every charger on day one.
What Is a Backbone EV Charging System?
A backbone system provides the shared infrastructure needed to support EV charging throughout a building.
It may include:
● Main cabling
● Cable trays
● Distribution equipment
● Communications
● Load management
● Metering
● Connection points
Residents can then connect individual chargers over time.
This can be particularly useful in large apartment buildings because EV adoption will not happen at exactly the same time for every resident.
A building might have five EVs today and 50 in several years.
The infrastructure should therefore be designed for growth, not just today’s demand.
How Much Does Apartment EV Charging Cost?
The summit discussion suggested that a retrofit for a 200–300-unit apartment building could approach $750,000 to $1 million depending on the project.
That sounds expensive at first.
But the ACT Government’s approach is to consider the cost over a long period and compare it with the fuel savings available to residents.
The exact price of an apartment EV charging project will vary based on:
● Number of car spaces
● Existing electrical infrastructure
● Distance between switchboards and parking
● Cable routes
● Charger numbers
● Load management
● Metering
● Civil works
● Fire and safety requirements
● Network capacity
● Building design
The important lesson is that a large building should be evaluated as an infrastructure project, rather than simply multiplying the cost of one home charger by the number of apartments.
Should an Apartment Building Install Every EV Charger at Once?
Usually, a staged approach can be more practical.
The ACT model discussed at the summit was:
Install the backbone → add chargers as residents need them.
This has several advantages.
Lower Initial Cost
The building does not need to purchase hundreds of chargers immediately.
Future-Proofing
The shared infrastructure can be designed to support increasing EV adoption.
Fairer Cost Allocation
Residents who actually install chargers can pay for their individual equipment.
Better Demand Management
The building can expand charging capacity while continuing to manage its available electricity supply.
What Role Should Government Play in Apartment Charging?
The ACT Government’s approach is notable because it does not view subsidies as the permanent answer.
Alex Killeen described the role of government as:
build the ecosystem, demonstrate what works, then step back.
That can mean:
● Removing regulatory barriers
● Supporting early projects
● Creating technical guidance
● Helping industry develop relationships
● Funding demonstrations
● Publishing case studies
The goal is to create a model that private industry and building owners can then reproduce without ongoing government support.
That approach may become increasingly important as EV adoption grows.
What Can Apartment Buildings Learn From the ACT?
The ACT experience suggests several practical lessons.
Don’t wait for every resident to own an EV
Infrastructure can be installed progressively.
Focus on the backbone
Shared electrical infrastructure is often more important than buying chargers in bulk.
Use load management
This can significantly increase the number of vehicles a building can support.
Design for future growth
A building’s EV demand is likely to increase over time.
Use real projects as evidence
Case studies can be more useful to owners and strata committees than theoretical discussions.
What Is Vehicle-to-Vehicle Charging?
V2G is not the only new EV charging technology discussed at the summit.
Alpine Energy is developing a system that allows one vehicle to provide energy directly to another EV.
This is essentially:
vehicle-to-vehicle charging.
Instead of towing a stranded EV to a charging station, a specialised rescue vehicle can bring the energy to the stranded vehicle.
How the MGEN M40 Works
Alpine Energy’s MGEN M40 is described as a 40 kW DC fast charger with a CCS2 connection.
According to the summit discussion, it can provide approximately 65 km of driving range in around 15 minutes.
That is enough to potentially get a stranded EV to the nearest conventional fast charger.
The concept is particularly relevant in Australia because large distances between charging infrastructure can still exist outside metropolitan areas.
Why EV Roadside Charging Matters in Regional Australia
A dead battery in the city is inconvenient.
A dead battery far outside a major town can be much more difficult.
A stranded EV may be:
● 100 km from the nearest town
● In extreme heat
● Travelling with children
● On an isolated road
● Outside mobile coverage
● Unable to reach a conventional fast charger
Traditional roadside assistance may involve towing the vehicle.
But EVs can require specialised towing procedures, and a tow to the nearest charging station adds time and cost.
A mobile DC charging vehicle changes the model.
Instead of:
EV → tow truck → charging station
the process could become:
Mobile charger → stranded EV → enough energy to reach the next charger
Why Alpine’s Vehicle-to-Vehicle Charger Is Different
The technology discussed at the summit uses a DC-to-DC architecture.
Instead of converting AC electricity to DC in the usual way, the system uses the donor vehicle’s battery as an energy source and converts its voltage to the level required by the stranded EV.
The donor vehicle is a petrol-hybrid.
When its available battery energy is depleted, the petrol engine can operate and continue providing energy.
That means the rescue vehicle does not need to carry an enormous stationary battery pack.
It can effectively use its own hybrid drivetrain as the energy source.
Who Could Use Mobile EV Charging?
The technology could potentially serve several markets.
Roadside Assistance
A mobile charger could rescue stranded EV drivers.
Towing Companies
Towing operators could provide charging instead of immediately towing every flat EV.
Fleet Operators
Commercial fleets could use mobile charging for vehicles in difficult locations.
Rural Areas
Mobile charging could help address gaps between permanent charging stations.
Emergency Resilience
Network operators could potentially use mobile charging during major disruptions.
Events and Remote Locations
Vehicles could receive energy away from conventional charging infrastructure.
The summit discussion noted interest from roadside assistance companies, towing companies and distribution network operators.
Could a Mobile EV Charger Help During a Grid Outage?
Potentially.
Alpine Energy has received interest from network operators in using mobile charging equipment as part of resilience planning.
The broader idea is interesting:
If a fire, flood or other event disrupts part of the electricity network, a mobile charging unit could potentially provide temporary energy services where conventional charging infrastructure is unavailable.
The company has also been asked whether its equipment could support a local service station during an outage.
This illustrates how EV infrastructure is beginning to overlap with broader energy resilience.
EV Charging Is Becoming More Than “Plugging In”
The Sydney summit shows how quickly the definition of EV infrastructure is expanding.
Traditional EV charging asks:
Where can I plug in my car?
The next generation asks:
What else can my car, charger and building do with electricity?
That includes:
● EV → grid
● EV → home
● EV → appliances
● EV → another EV
● Smart load management
● Mobile charging
● Flexible energy demand
The EV is becoming part of the wider energy system.
What Does This Mean for EV Owners?
The market is moving toward greater functionality, but consumers need to be careful about buying technology based on future promises.
Before choosing an EV or charger, ask:
Does the vehicle support bidirectional charging?
Not every EV does.
Is the charger compatible?
Vehicle and charger compatibility matters.
Is V2G actually available?
A vehicle may technically support bidirectional charging without an Australian retailer or network offering a commercial V2G service.
Is the technology covered by the vehicle warranty?
This matters particularly for frequent bidirectional operation.
Can the charger support future upgrades?
A charger with a clear upgrade path may have greater long-term value.
What Does This Mean for Apartment Owners?
Apartment residents considering an EV should not assume that installing charging infrastructure requires a building-wide electrical upgrade.
Instead, ask the strata committee or building manager about:
● Existing electrical capacity
● EV charging plans
● Load management
● Shared infrastructure
● Future charger expansion
● Individual metering
● Installation approval processes
A building that installs its charging backbone early may be able to support significantly more EVs over time.
What Does This Mean for Strata Committees?
For apartment buildings, EV charging should be treated as long-term infrastructure.
A committee should consider:
● How many EVs exist today?
● How many may exist in five years?
● Where will chargers be installed?
● How will electricity be metered?
● Who pays for the charger?
● Who pays for shared infrastructure?
● What happens when available power is limited?
● What happens if 50 residents want to charge simultaneously?
● How will future residents connect?
The strongest design is unlikely to be “one charger per apartment.”
It is more likely to be:
shared backbone + intelligent load management + staged charger deployment.
What Does This Mean for Businesses?
Businesses also have an opportunity to think differently about EV infrastructure.
Workplace charging can increasingly become an integrated energy-management system rather than a simple employee benefit.
A business could potentially combine:
● Rooftop solar
● Battery storage
● Smart EV charging
● Demand management
● Future V2G
That could turn workplace EVs into flexible energy resources.
The commercial case becomes particularly interesting where vehicles remain parked for long periods during the day.
The Future of EV Charging May Be Bidirectional
The most important long-term shift discussed at the summit is that EV batteries may stop being one-directional assets.
Today:
Electricity → car
Tomorrow:
Electricity ↔ car
And eventually:
Electricity ↔ car ↔ home ↔ building ↔ grid
That means the value of an EV could extend far beyond transportation.
However, the hardware, software, standards, warranties and electricity-market arrangements all need to mature before this becomes a normal consumer experience.
The Biggest Barrier to V2G May Be Interoperability
It is tempting to think that V2G simply needs more chargers.
It does not.
The system involves multiple players:
● Car manufacturer
● Charger manufacturer
● Electricity retailer
● Distribution network
● Software provider
● Government
● Customer
If any part of that system is incompatible, the experience can fail.
That is why international interoperability work is so important.
The goal is simple:
Buy an EV + buy a compatible charger + connect to an electricity retailer + everything works.
The industry is not completely there yet.
What Will Accelerate Australia’s EV Charging Market?
Several factors could accelerate the transition.
More EV Models With Bidirectional Capability
Vehicle manufacturers need to support the technology.
Retailer Programs
Consumers need a simple way to participate financially.
Better Standards
Interoperability reduces complexity.
Apartment Charging Blueprints
Building managers need proven installation models.
Smart Load Management
Buildings need to support more vehicles without proportionally larger electrical infrastructure.
Mobile Charging
Regional gaps can be addressed without waiting for permanent infrastructure everywhere.
The combination of these developments could push Australia’s EV ecosystem forward much faster than charger numbers alone would suggest.
The Bigger Picture: EVs Are Becoming Energy Infrastructure
The EV Infrastructure Summit demonstrates that electric vehicles are no longer simply a transport technology.
They are becoming part of Australia’s electricity system.
A single EV can potentially become:
A vehicle
A mobile battery
A household backup source
A grid resource
A portable generator
A charging station for another EV
At the same time, apartment buildings are evolving from simple parking structures into managed energy environments with smart charging and shared electrical infrastructure.
Final Thoughts
The Sydney EV Infrastructure Summit highlighted three very different technologies, but they point in the same direction.
V2G aims to make the EV battery part of the electricity system.
Apartment charging aims to make EV ownership practical for people without detached-home garages.
Vehicle-to-vehicle charging aims to make a flat EV battery less of a roadside emergency.
Together, these technologies suggest that the future of EV infrastructure will be about much more than installing more chargers.
The biggest opportunity is to create an ecosystem where:
cars, chargers, buildings, retailers and electricity networks work together.
V2G may still be several years away from becoming a standard consumer product, but the foundations are already being built through Australian pilots and international deployments.
Apartment charging is moving toward practical, scalable backbone systems rather than one-off charger installations.
And mobile EV charging could provide a new solution for drivers who run out of energy far from conventional infrastructure.
For consumers, businesses and strata committees, the lesson is simple:
Don’t think of an EV charger as just a plug.
The charger may soon be one part of a much larger energy system.
FAQs — EV Charging, V2G and Apartment Charging
1. What is vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging?
Vehicle-to-grid charging allows an electric vehicle to send electricity from its battery back to the electricity grid. Instead of the EV only consuming energy, electricity can flow in both directions.
2. Can you make money with V2G?
Potentially. Amber’s early V2G trial has projected that participating owners could make around 3,000 per year, although actual earnings depend on the particular program, vehicle, retailer and electricity-market conditions.
3. When will V2G be available for most Australian EV owners?
The summit discussion estimated that standard, off-the-shelf V2G could be around three to five years away, although the timing could change if major automakers accelerate adoption.
4. Can every EV support V2G?
No. Both the EV and charging equipment need to support bidirectional operation, and compatibility with the Australian electricity network and relevant retailer programs is also important.
5. What is the difference between V2G, V2H and V2L?
V2G sends energy to the electricity grid. V2H allows an EV to supply a home. V2L allows an EV to power appliances or other electrical loads directly.
6. Do apartments need to upgrade their electricity supply to install EV chargers?
Not necessarily. Load management and shared charging infrastructure can allow apartment buildings to support multiple EV chargers using their existing electrical capacity more effectively. The ACT Government has used this approach in underground car parks.
7. Is underground parking suitable for EV chargers?
Yes. The ACT Government has reported installing hundreds of chargers in underground car parks and described them as among the cheapest locations because extensive civil works are often unnecessary.
8. What is load management for apartment EV charging?
Load management intelligently distributes available electrical capacity between connected EV chargers. Instead of every vehicle charging at maximum power simultaneously, the system adjusts charging according to the building’s available electricity.
9. What is vehicle-to-vehicle EV charging?
Vehicle-to-vehicle charging allows one vehicle to supply electricity directly to another EV. Alpine Energy’s MGEN M40 is a 40 kW DC system designed to provide emergency charging to stranded EVs.
10. How much range can Alpine Energy’s MGEN M40 provide?
According to the summit discussion, the 40 kW MGEN M40 can provide approximately 65 km of driving range in around 15 minutes, giving a stranded EV enough energy to reach another charging location.
