Bidirectional EV Charging

As the number of electric cars on the Irish market continues to increase, major advances in EV technology are taking place. Among those is two-way charging, more commonly known as bi-directional charging.

Bi-directional charging allows EV owners to use electricity from their car battery to either power appliances, their home, or supply energy back to the grid.

We expect this technology to become more popular in coming years, so let’s explore how bi-directional charging works.

The key takeaways:

Power appliances, your home, or send power back to the grid
Protection against power outages
Not widely available in 2025 but interest is increasing

Which EVs offer Bi-Directional charging
FAQ’s

What is Bi-Directional charging?

Electric car chargers are usually unidirectional, meaning that energy flows in one direction – from the power source into the EV battery via the charger.

With bi-directional charging, energy from the battery inside an electric car can be used outside the vehicle.

A small but growing number of manufacturers are adding this two-way charging feature, which could prove to be popular among some Irish EV owners in the future.

How does bidirectional charging work?

First, let’s look at how EV charging works more generally.

The EV charger, which is actually located inside the vehicle, converts AC electricity to DC electricity.

This DC power is stored in the EV battery, and then converted back into AC electricity to power the car – to move the wheels, essentially.

Instead of sending this AC electricity back to the motor, bidirectional charging allows for the electricity to be transferred back out of the charging port, meaning the power can flow in two directions as opposed to just one. This electricity can then be used for a variety of purposes.

Types of Bi-directional Charging

There are three main types of bidirectional EV charging: vehicle to load, vehicle to home and vehicle to grid.

Vehicle to Load Charging

The most basic and most common form of bidirectional charging is vehicle to load (V2L), used to power appliances and tools. With an adapter, V2L allows electric car owners to simply plug in their camping equipment or other standalone devices, and could be useful while camping.

Vehicle to Grid Charging

With V2G charging, power is transferred from the battery to a local grid via the electric car’s DC to AC converter system. This would technically allow for off-peak charging of the EV, with the power then being transferred back to the grid during peak hours when energy demands are greater.

Vehicle to Home Charging

Vehicle to home (V2H) charging allows EV owners to send electricity back from their car battery into their home, serving as a backup power source.

This type of bidirectional charging is currently not supported by the vast majority of electric vehicles, but this could change as the technology improves. A typical EV battery has the capacity to potentially power a home for one or two days.

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Does my charger support bidirectional charging?

Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) bidirectional charging both require a compatible EV charger in order to function. These options are still less common and more expensive than most home EV chargers, and EV owners have reported that installers are reluctant to install bidirectional chargers.

If you are interested in bidirectional EV charging then check if the charger you are purchasing supports it.

Which EVs offer bidirectional charging?

All BYD models and large parts of the Volkswagen ID family support bidirectional charging now, with other brands such as the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq 5 & 6, Kia EV6, EV9 & Niro also popular options.

The list of cars which support bidirectional charging grows rapidly with MG, Audi, Skoda, Volvo and more also putting out new models supporting the shift. In time it is expected that all EVs will be capable of bidirectional charging.

EVs with bidirectional charging features

FAQs

Can a bidirectional EV charger provide power in a blackout?

In order for your EV to provide electricity for your home during a power outage (V2H) you will also need a changeover switch installed to isolate the house from the grid.

Are bidirectional chargers common?

Bidirectional charging is a relatively recent development in the EV world, with only a limited number of electric vehicles and charging manufacturers offering two-way charging in 2024, but this could change over the next few years as the technology becomes more advanced and affordable.

What is the best car for bidirectional charging?

Not all cars support bidirectional charging, with only a limited number of EV models being able to facilitate the function. Among the cars which do allow for two-way (bidirectional) charging are the new Nissan Leafs, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, and the KIA EV6.

How much are bidirectional EV chargers?

There are many benefits to home EV charging over public charging and bidirectional chargers are the latest technological development – however they can be pricey for what they offer compared to traditional chargers. Most EV owners will therefore install a high quality unidirectional home EV charger for around €1,000.

What are some popular bidirectional EV chargers?

One of the most popular bidirectional EV chargers on the market at the minute is Wallbox’s Quasar 2. Wallbox says the next generation Quasar 2 EV charger could power your home for 3 days during an emergency or blackout.