The Power Exchange

From charging points to power partners, here's how V2G can transform India's EV fleet into a driving force of the green grid revolution.

- Shriyal Sethumadhavan and Pranav Vadehra

In a country racing to electrify transport and decarbonise its power system, there is growing interest in a technology that marries the two: Vehicle-to-Grid, or V2G. In simple terms, V2G allows electric vehicles (EVs) not only to charge from the grid but to send electricity back into the grid when needed.

EVs as grid assets

In the Indian context – which combines surging EV adoption, a push for renewables, and grid-stress issues – this concept is especially compelling.

Through bidirectional interaction, EVs act as mobile energy storage units – stabilising the grid and integrating renewable energy more efficiently, a concept often referred to as the 'Grid-as-a-Battery'. “V2G is the missing link for fully realising India's renewable potential. EVs, acting as mobile storage units is a solution to solve this instability problem,” according to Raman Bhatia, Managing Director, Servotech Renewable Power System Ltd.

“V2G can accelerate India's path to net-zero effectively transforming EV fleets into mobile energy reservoirs,” says Raghav Arora, Co-Founder & CTO, Statiq. He adds, by 2035, India's EV ecosystem could contribute tens of gigawatt-hours of flexible, on-demand energy capacity – accelerating the nation's net-zero and green grid goals.

“If even 15 per cent of India's EVs become V2G-enabled by 2030, they could unlock gigawatts of flexible capacity and significantly decarbonise transport and power simultaneously,” says Rajeev YSR, CEO, ThunderPlus.

Several forces converge in India that make V2G a critical piece in India's energy transition – more than a “nice to have”: