Australia has recorded its first successful vehicle-to-grid (V2G) energy discharge using the latest international bidirectional charging standard. This marks a step forward in the development of standards-based V2G technology.
The demonstration used the ISO 15118-20 communication standard, which governs bidirectional energy transfer between electric vehicles and charging infrastructure and provides the framework for vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-home (V2H), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications.
The project paired a Hyundai Ioniq 9 with a StarCharge Halo 7.4kW bidirectional DC charger and demonstrated manufacturer-supported, standards-compliant V2G capability in Australia.
Focus on standards-based deployment
ISO 15118-20 is the latest international standard for bidirectional charging and is designed to enable secure communication between vehicles and charging equipment while supporting the export of electricity from vehicles back to homes or the electricity grid.
“This is the result of sustained technical work by Hyundai’s R&D teams in Korea and Australia. ISO 15118-20 includes all the messages and sequence requirements for bidirectional power transfer,” said Don Romano, Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor Company Australia.
“Getting this right is essential because V2G will only scale in Australia if consumers, energy providers and governments can trust the technology.”
The demonstration utilised the Hyundai Ioniq 9, which is built on the company’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and features an 800-volt electrical architecture designed to support both high-power charging and bidirectional energy transfer.
Building momentum for V2G adoption
Industry stakeholders view vehicle-to-grid technology as a potential way to integrate electric vehicles more closely into Australia’s energy system by allowing vehicles to store and export electricity when required.
“Electric cars can do far more than just drive. They can power homes and support the grid,” said Romano.
“This first V2G discharge using ISO 15118-20 with the IONIQ 9 demonstrates that we are delivering real innovation, not just talking about it.”
The StarCharge Halo charger used in the demonstration received Clean Energy Council approval in March 2026 and complies with AS/NZS 4777.2 requirements.
“This is an important milestone for Australia’s V2G market and a strong demonstration of Hyundai’s leadership in bringing ISO 15118-20-enabled vehicle technology to Australia through the IONIQ 9,” said Austin Luo, Director of eMobility at StarCharge Energy Oceania.
“StarCharge is proud to support Hyundai with the StarCharge Halo 7.4kW bidirectional DC charger, and we look forward to working with industry partners to accelerate standards-compliant, manufacturer-supported V2G adoption across Australia.”
Preparing for broader rollout
Hyundai said the demonstration will help support future residential V2G trials and wider deployment of vehicle-to-grid technology across homes, commercial buildings, energy networks, and virtual power plants.
The company is currently evaluating V2G capability across the Ioniq 9, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and future Ioniq models in the Australian market.
Australia adopted national V2G and V2H standards in 2024, creating a regulatory pathway for bidirectional charging technologies. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has previously forecast that up to 2.6 million Australian homes could adopt vehicle-to-grid technology by 2040.
Did you find this article interesting? Click the ‘heart’ button above to give it a ‘like’!
