The electrification of commercial vehicle fleets is much more than just a technological shift: it is the strategic response to rising operating costs, stricter CO₂ regulations, and new mobility demands. But it’s not only lower operating costs, tax incentives, and a growing range of vehicle models that make the switch attractive. Integration into the so-called Smart Grid opens up new revenue streams for fleet managers.

Renewable energies are crucial for a sustainable future, but their power generation fluctuates with the weather and time of day. When there is overproduction, plants often have to be switched off, while fossil fuel power plants step in during shortages. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) create flexibility here: they store surplus green electricity and release it again when needed. This reduces the load on the electricity grid and makes efficient use of renewable energy.

In France, V2G seems to be “très facile” in contrast to Germany. Why is vehicle-to-grid so easy to implement in our neighboring countries, and what structural, regulatory and market-related factors play a role?

While implementing Vehicle-to-Grid might sound simple, it’s anything but trivial. It all starts with the vehicle and the right charging station.

Many manufacturers are already focusing on electric vehicles with V2G technology - the future is clear. The first V2H and V2L solutions are paving the way for vehicle batteries to later feed energy back into the grid. Here is an overview.

The technology is one thing; the regulatory framework is another matter entirely. Germany is also catching up in this field, while the UK is already further ahead in this respect. The Netherlands is also playing a very active role in bidirectional charging.