The country’s largest trial of two-way chargers will explore how electric vehicles (EVs) can be used to lower power bills in residential and business settings and support a more resilient electricity system.
The trial will be delivered in partnership between EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) and OpenLoop, the national EV charging services arm of Counties Energy, across multiple urban locations, including Auckland. It will explore how two-way chargers can unlock the potential of battery storage in a range of real-world settings.
The trial will include installing up to 100 chargers across homes, commercial fleets and depot environments, expanding the range of use cases, technologies and customer scenarios tested in New Zealand. It may also include a small number of heavy vehicle chargers.
EECA’s Group Manager, Policy & Regulation Murray Bell says, “EV chargers are a proven technology and as EV uptake grows, electricity demand increases, and more electricity comes from renewable and intermittent sources, we want to understand how the latest two-way charging technology can open up access to energy storage for New Zealand. Both technically, as well as what the economics are for households and businesses.”
The new trial builds on a smaller trial currently underway in Queenstown, which is in the process of installing 30-40 chargers across a mix of homes and businesses during 2026 and early 2027.
“The trial will test and demonstrate how EVs and two-way chargers can support households, businesses, fleets, retailers, aggregators and the electricity network,” says Judy Nicholl, Counties Energy Chief Executive.
“For customers, there are many potential benefits, including reducing the cost of their power bills by changing their consumption behaviour.”
Two-way chargers allow EVs to draw electricity from the grid and discharge stored electricity back to a home, business or the wider network. This creates an opportunity to improve customer resilience, reduce energy costs, support renewable integration, and potentially defer future network investment where flexibility can be reliably accessed.
“EECA research shows home charging is the main way people charge their EVs,” says Murray Bell. “This means there is potential to use parked vehicles for energy storage while they are charging at home.”
The flexibility offered by two-way chargers can:
- help reduce peak electricity demand and reduce strain on transmission and distribution networks, reducing the need for costly upgrades to the network of poles and wires
- enhance energy resilience and long-term energy security by making more efficient use of the infrastructure (poles and wires) we already have
- lower costs for energy users by allowing charging when electricity is cheaper and the exporting of any surplus electricity when the price is high
- help EV owners get the most value from the powerful batteries they already have in their cars
- help keep households powered up during network outages and extreme weather events
- support greater integration of renewable electricity and potentially defer or reduce future network investment where EV flexibility can be reliably accessed.
Two-way chargers with vehicle-to-grid functionality are not yet widely available in New Zealand. While there is growing uptake and widespread trials internationally, the technology remains relatively untested in New Zealand and standards are still developing.
“This work will collect valuable technical and behavioural data, and the findings will support a better understanding of how the technology can deliver value for customers and the electricity system,” says Bell.
“The findings will help build an evidence base to inform future policies and guidance that enable two-way chargers to be rolled out effectively across New Zealand.”
The trialling of two-way chargers will help understand how the technology works in real-world New Zealand conditions, including:
- what’s required to enable them to interact with the electricity system
- how they interact with the electricity system, including responding to electricity price changes and times of peak demand
- how they can add value for a variety of homes and businesses
- how people will engage with and use them
- how retailer or aggregator tariffs and payment arrangements could reward customers for making stored energy available
- the installation, safety, compliance and software requirements needed to support wider uptake.
Additional information
About two-way charging
With standard EV chargers, electricity flows one way from the grid into the vehicle. Two-way chargers enable electricity to also flow in the opposite direction – from the EV into a home, building, or the wider electricity network. Two-way EV chargers are also referred to as bi-directional chargers. They enable EV batteries to be used more flexibly.
When parked and plugged in, an EV can store electricity in its battery during periods of lower power demand and return it when demand is higher, helping to balance the electricity system.
This means an EV can:
- charge when electricity demand or prices are lower and/or when there is plenty of renewable electricity being generated
- supply electricity back to the grid when demand is higher and/or generation is more expensive
- act as a source of stored energy when it is not being driven.
Publication of trial findings
Findings from the trials will be published regularly.
The first report captures insights from market research undertaken as part of the Queenstown trial and outlines the current state of the vehicle to grid charging market in New Zealand, with insights on:
- vehicle compatibility
- manufacturer support
- charger availability
- broader market readiness
The report is informed by engagement with vehicle and charger manufacturers, electricity distribution businesses, energy retailers, and government agencies.
Smart charger consultation
Consultation closed recently on proposed new requirements for electric vehicle chargers that will help build a smarter, more flexible electricity system while giving EV owners more opportunities to save on charging costs.
The proposed requirements for smart EV chargers would ensure new chargers sold in New Zealand have the capability to charge at times that work best for both consumers and the electricity system.
Consultation open on smart EV chargers to power NZ's energy future