Volkswagen Group energy subsidiary Elli is preparing to bring Vehicle-to-Grid charging to customers in Germany, with a market launch planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The new bidirectional charging package will initially be available to eligible drivers of Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and CUPRA electric vehicles. It combines a compatible EV, the Elli BiDi Charger, the Volkswagen Naturstrom V2G Flow electricity tariff and the Elli BiDi App, allowing customers to make battery capacity available to the grid while their vehicle is parked.
Volkswagen presented the package at the Power2Drive trade fair in Munich, where interested customers can now register their interest ahead of the planned order launch later this year.
Turning EV batteries into grid-connected storage
Vehicle-to-Grid, or V2G, enables electricity stored in an EV battery to be fed back into the public grid during selected periods. Rather than simply charging and storing power, compatible vehicles can become part of a wider energy system, helping balance renewable generation and electricity demand.
For drivers, the appeal is lower energy costs and the possibility of earning rewards for keeping their EV connected. Volkswagen says customers could receive a plug-in bonus of up to €720 during the first contract year.
To qualify for the maximum incentive, customers would need to keep their vehicle connected for 250 hours per month. Elli says this could result in a €60 monthly bonus, provided each charging session lasts at least three hours. The offer will initially be limited to a restricted number of customers.
Users will set their desired departure time and minimum battery state of charge through the Elli BiDi App. The system will then use any available connection time to support energy-market services, while ensuring the vehicle remains ready for everyday driving needs.
Compatible Volkswagen Group EVs
The V2G package is expected to support Volkswagen Group EVs running ID. Software 3.5 with battery capacities of at least 77 kWh, along with all ID. models equipped with ID. Software 6.
Volkswagen says around one million MEB-based EVs are already on European roads, including approximately 360,000 vehicles in Germany that are technically prepared for bidirectional charging.
That gives the group a substantial installed base for scaling V2G services across multiple brands and future MEB-based models.
“The electric car will become part of a digital energy and mobility system,” said Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology. “It can store electricity, charge in a controlled manner, feed energy back and thus also create economic added value while parked.”
Elli BiDi Charger uses DC bidirectional charging
At the center of the offering is the Elli BiDi Charger, a DC bidirectional wallbox supplied through The Mobility House Energy.
The charger is based on the ChargeLine BiDi system developed by The Mobility House, EcoG and charging hardware manufacturer EV-Tech. It operates at 800 volts and delivers up to 11 kW of charging and discharging power.
Volkswagen has not yet announced pricing for the charger, but describes it as competitively priced.
Customers will also need the Volkswagen Naturstrom V2G Flow tariff and access to a smart meter through Elli’s partner network. Homes with solar PV systems connected to the household electricity circuit are currently excluded from the initial offer, due to regulatory limitations.
The Mobility House to provide V2G technology platform
Elli will manage the customer-facing and energy-market side of the program, including the tariff, app controls, battery aggregation and flexibility marketing.
The company will use The Mobility House Energy’s FlexEngine platform to pool connected EV battery capacity and operate it as part of a virtual power plant.
This allows Elli to combine the available capacity of many parked electric vehicles and offer that flexibility to the energy market. The goal is to help absorb excess renewable electricity when supply is high and return power to the grid when demand increases.
“The energy transition needs storage, and much of it is already standing in our customers’ garages,” said Giovanni Palazzo, CEO of Elli. “With Vehicle-to-Grid, we are making the battery of the electric car an active part of the energy system.”
More brands and markets expected to follow
The initial rollout will focus on Germany, but Volkswagen says other Group brands and markets are expected to join once technical, regulatory and product requirements are met.
France and the UK have been identified as potential next markets.
Volkswagen joins a growing list of automakers developing V2G services in Germany. BMW has announced a similar program with E.ON, while Ford is working with Octopus Energy. Mercedes-Benz and Renault are also partnering with The Mobility House on bidirectional charging projects.
With hundreds of thousands of bidirectional-ready MEB vehicles already on the road, Volkswagen and Elli are aiming to make Vehicle-to-Grid charging a mainstream EV feature rather than a niche pilot project.
