‍‍This first report outlines the current state of the vehicle to grid charging market in New Zealand including:

⚡ vehicle compatibility

⚡ manufacturer support

⚡ charger availability

⚡ broader market readiness

Key takeaways include…

🚘 Commercial deployment in New Zealand is currently limited by the availability of compatible vehicles and chargers, electricity market arrangements, and vehicle manufacturer support.

🚘 Although the market is starting to develop, coordination across vehicle manufacturers, charger suppliers, electricity retailers, network companies, regulators and consumers will be essential for widespread adoption. This includes software compatibility and open communication between technologies.

🚘 Continued improvements in vehicle manufacturer support, charger availability and commercial incentives are expected to accelerate market development over the coming years.

Widespread use of newer two-way or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging technologies (enabling electricity to flow from the EV battery back into anywhere connected to the grid) could potentially reduce New Zealand’s overall electricity system costs, by making better use of existing infrastructure and avoiding or delaying some new investment.  

Over time, this could contribute to downward pressure on electricity prices.  Our research is testing how two-way charging performs in real New Zealand conditions, and we will keep sharing our findings as we go.