Bidirectional EV chargers: turning your car into a home battery

Bidirectional EV charging — often called V2G (vehicle-to-grid), V2H (vehicle-to-home) or V2L (vehicle-to-load) depending on the use case — is moving fast from demo projects into real products. Instead of being just a sink for electrons, an EV with a bidirectional charger can be a flexible energy asset: charge when power is cheap or solar is abundant, then send stored energy back to the house (backup or peak-shaving) or to the grid when prices or demand justify it. This can cut bills, increase resilience, and help balance renewable generation. … … potentially.

Major manufacturers are already shipping (or preparing) hardware.

Enphase announced an IQ Bidirectional EV Charger that supports safe two-way power flow and integrates with its home energy ecosystem; Enphase says the charger is designed for global markets and has been unveiled in September 2025, with general availability expected in the second half of 2026. That product targets home backup (V2H) and grid services (V2G) controlled through Enphase’s energy management platform.

Wallbox is another front-runner. Its Quasar 2 bidirectional charger (V2H and V2G capable) has been offered for pre-order and positioned as a way to use an EV battery to power a home during outages or to export to the grid; Wallbox ran limited pre-orders and expected early deliveries as part of a staged rollout (initial waves in mid-2025 for selected markets), with wider distribution to follow through their installer/distributor network. Wallbox already operates in the Irish market via partners, so Quasar-class hardware is likely to reach installers in Ireland as regional rollout schedules permit — though initial availability will be limited and staggered.

Enphase bi-directional EV charger – Recently Launched

Other players and platforms are important to watch. Nuvve supplies vehicle-to-grid platforms and is active in deployments and white-label hardware partnerships globally; their technology underpins many commercial and fleet V2G projects and points to the utility-scale potential of bi-directional charging. Meanwhile, established charging brands such as Enel X have historically focused on smart charging (JuiceBox) but haven’t been central to the emerging DC bidirectional market in Europe in the same way.

Ireland’s grid and safety regime require that new low-carbon devices be recorded or comply with network rules; ESB Networks operates an LCT (Low Carbon Technology) register that installers use for compliant devices.

At present (late 2025) bidirectional chargers are not yet widely installed or certified across Ireland — several industry reports note limited approvals and availability, although momentum and pilot projects are increasing. That means early adopters should expect staged availability via installers and distributor channels, and that true mass availability will depend on product certification, vehicle compatibility (some cars already support bidirectional flows) and utility/regulatory readiness.

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Read one of our previous articles on this topic here.

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