Australia’s first vehicle-to-grid electric vehicle subscription trial will test whether households can cut costs and support the grid by using their cars as mobile batteries.
Origin has partnered with BYD and charging infrastructure firm StarCharge to launch the pilot, which combines an EV subscription, a bi-directional charger, and access to free home charging.
The trial is limited to 50 customers and will start in 2026. Eligible participants will receive a BYD Atto 3 on subscription, a StarCharge V2G Halo charger, and access to an Origin smart tariff.
Origin is taking expressions of interest, with pricing expected at under $800 a month after tax savings.
Bi-directional charging enables electricity to flow both ways between the car and grid. Vehicles can be charged from solar or grid power when wholesale prices are low, then discharge back to the grid during peak demand when prices are high.
“Vehicle-to-grid charging is a real game-changer that could turbocharge the EV market in Australia by allowing EV drivers to send electricity back to the grid from their car and get rewarded for that,” said Chau Le, General Manager, E-mobility, Origin.
Free charging under the trial is capped at 320kWh per month, covering an estimated 24,000 kilometres annually based on BYD Atto 3 efficiency assumptions. Drivers must plug in for at least 12 hours a day on 20 days each month to qualify.
The Electric Vehicle Council estimates an EV driver covering 12,000 kilometres per year typically spends around $500 on electricity, compared with $2,500 for petrol in a conventional car. Origin says the trial could deliver savings of between $500 and $2,500 annually.
“This trial will help us understand the impacts of bi-directional charging on customer behaviour, impacts to their EV, and test how to best share value back with customers,” Le said.
For BYD, the partnership aligns with its broader sustainability agenda.
“The principles of V2G and what it will translate into for our Australian customers perfectly aligns with our mission to provide ‘innovation for a better life’ and to ‘cool the earth by 1 degree’,” said Sajid Hasan, Chief Product Officer, BYD Australia.
The trial is supported by Origin’s Virtual Power Plant platform, which automates charging and discharging decisions. Participating households will simply plug in their vehicles, with the system optimising energy flows between the home, the car, and the grid.