BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGING | CHECKED 24 OCTOBER 2026

Vehicle-to-grid costs in Australia

A Sigen EV DC charging module is advertised at $4,100 including tax for the seller's 12 kW, 7.5 m variant. Installation and the required SigenStor equipment cost extra. This is a module price rather than a complete installed system.

Grow Energy's offer supplies that price and variant label. Confirm the exact supplied equipment, compatible system and final quote before comparing it with a standalone charger. A cable length or power licence can change the configuration.

Hardware prices have different scopes

Allow for the compatible inverter or energy controller, any gateway, switchboard work and installation. Obtain an itemised total for your home. A module can be a useful addition to an existing compatible system, while a new installation may require substantial supporting equipment. The headline hardware amount alone cannot establish a payback.

Work out the energy margin

Exporting an assumed 10 kWh at 50c/kWh earns $5. Replacing that energy at 20c/kWh and 90% round-trip efficiency costs $2.22. The resulting energy margin is $2.78 for that event. These rates are editable assumptions, with no retailer offer attached.

Assumptions exclude equipment, installation, subscriptions, network fees and battery wear. Export rates and event availability are not forecasts.

For each event, exported kWh multiplied by the credit gives the receipt. Divide those kWh by round-trip efficiency to estimate replacement energy, then multiply by the recharge price. Subtract that cost from the receipt. A small tariff spread can produce a negative margin once losses are included. Multiply only by a realistic number of eligible events when forming an annual scenario.

Get a quote for the complete system

Ask the supplier to identify the exact module, cable length and any power licence in the quoted price. Record which inverter, energy controller and backup gateway are included. A quote for an existing compatible installation can have a different scope from a new system. Include any work needed to fit the equipment and connect it to your switchboard.

Check the GST treatment and delivery cost before comparing totals. Request separate prices for optional backup functions so you can see what each addition costs. Keep the equipment warranty and installer workmanship terms with the quote. Confirm the network-approved export limit for the proposed arrangement; the charger's maximum power alone does not set that limit.

Vehicle support needs an Australian check

A charger can have Australian equipment approval without a car maker permitting that use for your vehicle. Sigenergy's applicable-model list describes independent field tests and explicitly separates them from vehicle-manufacturer endorsement. Treat the list as testing evidence, then check your actual vehicle, software and warranty terms.

Hyundai Australia's current FAQ says Australian Hyundai vehicles do not support or permit V2G. Overseas demonstrations do not change that Australian position.

Mitsubishi's Australian guidance describes bidirectional capability for its named CHAdeMO plug-in hybrids using separately purchased equipment. Connector and local network rules still matter. These hybrids are outside this site's battery-electric consumption comparison.

Connection rules depend on your network

Energex requires an appropriate connection application, compliant equipment and consideration of the premises' electrical capacity. An export payment also needs a retailer or aggregator arrangement. Existing solar and inverter capacity can affect the approved export limit.

The ACT Government's guidance says only CCS2 vehicles can use V2G and V2H in the ACT. It identifies vehicle warranties and retailer services as continuing practical constraints. A CHAdeMO installation elsewhere cannot be treated as an ACT-approved combination.

SA Power Networks publishes its own bidirectional connection requirements. Use the current network process for the installation address and proposed equipment. An approved inverter listing alone does not specify the final export allowance or retail payment.

Compare a complete quote with your expected use

Keep the equipment price separate from the export margin. With 150 assumed events each earning $2.78 before other costs, the annual energy margin is about $417. The $4,100 module alone is nearly ten times that annual amount. Required supporting equipment and installation increase the upfront total. This arithmetic explains why a hardware headline and a high export-rate example cannot establish a quick return.

Ask the retailer how the export credit is determined. A fixed promotional credit, a wholesale market price and a controlled-event payment can behave differently. Record any subscription, minimum availability requirement and import tariff. If the arrangement raises the price of your household's normal electricity, include that change in the comparison. Check how the arrangement treats surplus solar that would otherwise earn an export credit.

Use a low-export-credit scenario as well as your preferred one. Test fewer events, a higher recharge price and a lower efficiency. These changes can remove much of the apparent margin. Keep an energy-only calculation separate from any value you place on backup supply or other functions of the system.

Keep driving energy available

Choose a minimum battery reserve for the next drive and a time when the vehicle must be ready. Exporting from a parked car depends on it being connected during the relevant events. If you regularly drive during those hours, a model that assumes daily export will overstate the opportunity. Check whether control remains with you and how the retailer handles an unavailable vehicle.

Backup power is another separate feature. Ask whether the proposed installation can isolate the home safely during an outage, which circuits it can supply and whether it can restart without grid power. Normal grid-export operation does not confirm those capabilities. Price the complete configuration that delivers the functions you actually need.

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