To mark World EV Day earlier this month, the team at smart charging consultancy Versinetic picked ten transformative projects in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

V2G has the potential to accelerate EV adoption by enabling vehicles not only to draw power but also to feed it back into the grid, effectively turning each EV into a mobile power source. Far from being a future concept, this technology is already being deployed in real-world projects around the globe.

Here are ten V2G projects that show how this technology is already reshaping the energy landscape, and poised to transform it even further:

1. Utrecht Energised (Netherlands, 2018–ongoing)

Utrecht was the first city in Europe to implement a large-scale V2G car-sharing service. In partnership with Renault’s Mobilise V2G technology, this energised initiative has set a standard for city-scale V2G ecosystems. With 500 bidirectional EVs, primarily Renault 5 E-Tech cars, the project integrated those vehicles with 20 charging plazas across the city, offering access to 80 individual chargers that were all designed to send power back to the grid in a city where 35% of rooftops have solar panels.

www.v2g-hub.com/projects/utrecht-v2g-charge-hubs-we-drive-sola

2. Vigil Project (UK, 2018–2020)

The Vigil (VehIcle to Grid Intelligent controL) project, led by Aston University and ByteSnap Design, created the UK’s first comprehensive, off-vehicle V2G communication and control platform. The project demonstrated at two sites on Aston University’s campus the capability to regulate EV charging and discharging with building energy alongside electrical network constraints. It did this thanks to four 40kW charge posts, designed to work with ByteSnap’s OCPP 2.0-compliant MantaRay controller, which provided real-time grid balancing, managed demand response and handled network constraints. 

www.linkedin.com/pulse/vigil-platform-demonstration-successfully-completed-clara-serrano

3. Bus2Grid (London, UK, 2018-Ongoing)

London’s Bus2Grid project was a world-first, delivering the UK’s largest commercial-scale, multi-megawatt e-bus-to-grid demonstration. Using one of Europe’s biggest overnight electric bus charging depots – Northumberland Park in north London – 28 e-buses provided a combined export capacity of 1.2MW. By transforming bus garages into virtual power stations, the project leveraged the large battery capacity of buses to support peak shaving, grid flexibility and renewable energy integration.

www.v2g-hub.com/projects/bus2grid

4. Electric Nation Vehicle to Grid (UK, 2020–2022)

Electric Nation was one of the UK’s largest domestic V2G trials, launched at a time of rising energy prices, supply concerns and growing demand for green technology. An innovation project by Western Power Distribution, it recruited 100 Nissan EV owners to trial V2G smart charging from their homes. The goal was to explore how V2G could provide grid services such as reserve support, load balancing and time-shifting, allowing participants to feed power back into the grid during peak hours and draw from it when needed, all using 100% renewable energy.

www.v2g-hub.com/projects/electric-nation-vehicle-to-grid

5. Realising Electric Vehicle-to-Grid Services (Australia, 2020–2023)

At the time, Australia’s largest V2G trial was also the first to use a fleet of vehicles. The project deployed 51 bidirectional chargers across 11 buildings in Canberra, supporting 51 V2G-capable EVs. Funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) and involving local energy retailer ActewAGL, it aimed to showcase how EVs could provide frequency response and reserve services to the grid. The trial revealed that a single EV could earn up to £5800 by participating in New South Wales’ 60-second frequency control ancillary services market.

arena.gov.au/projects/realising-electric-vehicle-to-grid-services

6. Direct Solar DC V2G Hub (Netherlands, 2020–2023)

The Direct Solar DC V2G Hub in Lelystad, Netherlands, involved 14 charge points, including ten DC V2G chargers (10kW each) and two AC double socket chargers (22kW each). It was a noteworthy V2G project because of its integration of a PV system, generating around 100,000kWh per year, and a CPO backend with an energy management system (EMS). By connecting to the energy market, the trial aimed to optimise energy flows between a building, which was Mijndomein’s headquarters in Lelystad, and PV panels, and electric vehicles. 

www.v2g-hub.com/projects/direct-solar-dc-v2g-hub-lelystad

7. E.On, Xenon, Fiege and GridX’s xSite Project (Germany, 2021-2025)

The xSite project, using GridX’s Xenon platform, highlights V2G’s commercial potential at Fiege’s site in Greven, Germany. The xSite dynamic load management project features ten intelligent AC charging points that supply the electric vehicles of Fiege employees and visitors with up to 22kW of power from E.On green electricity. Two further special DC charging points with a capacity of 10kW enable e-cars to be used as electricity storage units within an additional xSite pilot project.

www.fiege.com/en/newsroom/fiege-and-eon-open-intelligent-charging-park-e-cars

8. Drossone V2G Project (Italy, 2023–ongoing)

The Drossone project, one of Europe’s largest commercial V2G deployments, is unique because it aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a large-scale centralised V2G charging system by using stationary storage of EVs while they are in the manufacturer’s car park. Funded by the EU Emissions Trading System, 280 vehicles using fast chargers are providing frequency response services to stabilise the grid during the working day.

climate.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-07/if_pf_2021_drossone_v2gparking_en.pdf

9. ESO and Octopus Energy’s PowerLoop and Domestic V2G Trials (UK, 2023-Ongoing)

Octopus Energy’s PowerLoop domestic V2G trials are being conducted to prepare the company to be the first to enter National Grid ESO, now known as National Energy System Operator’s Balancing Mechanism, which is the largest flexibility marketplace in the UK. Developed by a consortium run by Octopus Electric Vehicles and Octopus Energy in partnership with UK Power Networks (UKPN), Energy Saving Trust, Open Energi, CPS, and Guidehouse, Powerloop has allowed over 130 EVs to become both generators and consumers of energy.

www.neso.energy/document/281316/download

10. China’s Large-Scale V2G Pilot Projects (China, 2025)

In April this year, China’s National Development & Reform Commission launched its first large-scale (30 pilots) V2G trial projects across nine cities, including Chengdu, Beijing and Shanghai. Shanghai, in particular, is a key city in the country’s V2G pilot efforts, with plans to install between 30,000 and 50,000 V2G-enabled charging stations by 2030. The trial involves 760 charging stations and more than 17,000 electric vehicles.

www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/china-launch-grid-connected-car-projects-balance-power-supply-2025-04-02

The ten projects represent what Versinetic (www.versinetic.com) considers pioneers, each proving that a resilient, sustainable and smart energy future is not only possible, but also practical and profitable.