Volkswagen and Elli to Launch Vehicle-to-Grid Solution

Wolfsburg, Germany – Volkswagen AG, a Motor Vehicle Manufacturer, and Elli, the Volkswagen Group’s energy and mobility brand, are gearing up to introduce a fully integrated Vehicle-to-Grid offering for private customers in Germany. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2026, customers will be able to do more than charge their electric vehicles, as they will also have the opportunity to feed energy back into the grid and earn additional income. Pre-registration is set to begin in June 2026, with plans to expand the offering to other European markets later. The initiative builds on Volkswagen’s existing home charging and energy ecosystem, positioning Vehicle-to-Grid as the next step in creating a broader EV-focused energy solution rather than a standalone product.

Mr. Martin Sander, Member of the Board of Management, responsible for Sales, Marketing, and After-Sales at Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said “Electric mobility can only realize its full potential if it also makes economic sense for our customers. With Vehicle-to-Grid, we are delivering exactly that: significantly lower home charging costs – and, in the long term, nearly cost-free charging. As a pioneer in bidirectional charging, our entire ID. family has been ‘bidi-ready’ since 2023. In this way, we are bringing V2G from innovation into everyday life and making this technology accessible to the mass market. That is the ambition of the Volkswagen brand.”

Mr. Giovanni Palazzo, CEO Elli & SVP Charging and Energy Volkswagen Group Components, said “Vehicle-to-Grid delivers its full value only through the connection of vehicles, infrastructure and the energy market. And that is precisely why we established Elli as the energy interface within the Group. Today, we have the technological and operational capabilities to scale an integrated solution across millions of vehicles and brands. We are now taking the next step: connecting batteries, unlocking new value through aggregation, and making our vision of a ‘Managed Battery Network’ a tangible reality for the first time.”

The new Vehicle-to-Grid offering gives customers the opportunity to lower their mobility costs and, over time, even create a new source of income. By making unused battery capacity available and allowing more flexible charging patterns, EV owners can benefit from savings and future revenue potential, with market estimates indicating up to €700–€900 per year under favorable conditions.

In the first phase, customers will be compensated for making their vehicle battery available for energy trading. This payment will be clear, transparent, and based on the level of charging flexibility selected, rather than on actual trading performance. Over time, the broader aim is to reduce the total cost of vehicle charging and move closer to near cost-neutral electric mobility. The offer also combines a dynamic electricity tariff, bidirectional DC charger, smart meter, and digital app into one integrated system.

Volkswagen sees Vehicle-to-Grid as part of a wider energy ecosystem in which electric vehicles serve not only as transport but also as flexible storage units. Vehicles will be able to store surplus renewable energy and return it to the grid when demand rises, helping connect mobility more closely with the energy system. Beyond customer benefits, this model could also deliver large system-wide savings, with studies pointing to annual cost reductions of up to €22 billion across Europe by 2040.

The rollout is supported by Volkswagen’s MEB platform, which already provides around one million vehicles in Europe with the technical capability for bidirectional charging. With the upcoming ID. Software 6 update, the functionality will expand to more battery sizes and future high-volume models, while protective systems and durable high-voltage batteries are designed to ensure that bidirectional charging has no major impact on battery life.

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