Nissan is launching onboard bi-directional charging on selected electric vehicles from 2026, helping drivers to potentially halve the costs of powering their EVs.

Nissan’s V2G tech could enable customers to halve the annual cost of powering an EV

It’s expected to feature on the next-generation Leaf, Qashqai and Juke EVs that will be built at its revamped Sunderland plant.

By using Nissan’s onboard bi-directional V2G technology, customers can cut the annual cost of powering an EV by 50%. The same technology can also reduce net CO2 emissions from charging by 30% per year, per EV for the average UK household.

Nissan already has extensive experience in V2G, with around 40 pilot projects conducted worldwide throughout the past decade, and says it’s now become the first car company to gain G99 Grid code certification with an AC-based solution, needed to supply electricity into the UK national energy supply.

One of the bi-directional systems Nissan plans to offer, this AC-bidirectional system will use an integrated onboard charger to deliver a lower cost of entry, making the technology more accessible to more people. Nissan has said it’s planning a comparable price to current mono-directional conventional chargers.

As well as lowering the cost of entry, Nissan’s V2G system will give customers complete control and flexibility over their energy via a dedicated app.

The launch forms part of Nissan’s strategy to create a fully integrated energy ecosystem – sustainably manufactured EVs providing zero-emission motoring, charged using clean energy and capable of providing power back to the home as well as to the grid.

Hugues Desmarchelier, Nissan vice president, global electrification ecosystem & EV programmes, said the game-changing technology would turn the Japanese brand’s cars into mobile energy storage units, capable of saving people money while also supporting the transition of energy systems away from fossil fuels.

“Nissan is proud to democratise technology for the benefit of society. The breakthrough in an on-board solution for two-way charging will be a substantial reduction in the cost of integrating a future EV into your energy supply, and the ability to leverage the car as a source of income over its lifecycle,” he went on.

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “Vehicle-to-grid technology is a fantastic innovation which has the potential to save people money and accelerate the UK’s transition to electric vehicles.

“A greener transport network is a key priority for this Government, and by working together with industry we will boost consumer confidence and achieve our shared goal of getting more EVs on the road.”

Nissan announced last autumn that all its new cars in Europe from now will be fully electric, and that it expects its passenger car line-up in Europe to be 100% electric by 2030, flying in the face of the previous government’s rowback on the 2030 target.