Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which lets your EV sell electricity back to the National Grid when you’re not driving, has finally moved beyond the trial phase. Several UK charging networks now offer bidirectional charging at public locations, though the picture is patchy and you’ll need the right car to make it work.
Here’s what actually exists on the ground in 2026, which EVs can use it, and whether it’s worth bothering with for the typical driver.
Which Public Charging Networks Support V2G?
The short answer: not many, and the rollout is concentrated in specific regions.
Gridserve leads the pack with V2G-capable chargers at eight of their Electric Forecourt locations, including Braintree, Norwich, and Gatwick Airport. These use CHAdeMO connectors, which were the first to support bidirectional charging. You’ll find them marked with a green ‘V2G’ label on the Gridserve app.
Octopus Energy has installed V2G points at roughly 30 locations across the UK, primarily in supermarket car parks and Park & Ride sites. These work with their Octopus Power Pack system and require you to be an Octopus Energy customer to sell back to the grid, though anyone can charge normally.
EDF’s V2G network, launched in partnership with several London boroughs, currently has around 15 bidirectional chargers in residential areas of Wandsworth, Islington, and Southwark. These are designed for people who live in flats without off-street parking and need to rely on public charging.
Tesla Superchargers don’t support V2G at all, despite Tesla vehicles having the hardware capability. The company hasn’t indicated whether this will change.
Pod Point, bp pulse, InstaVolt, and Ionity currently have no V2G-capable public chargers deployed, though Pod Point has said they’re ‘monitoring developments’. Translation: don’t hold your breath.
Which EVs Actually Work With V2G?
This is where it gets frustrating. Bidirectional charging requires both the right connector and the right software, and most manufacturers have been slow to enable it.
The Nissan Leaf remains the most widely compatible V2G vehicle in the UK, using its CHAdeMO connector. Every Leaf from 2018 onwards supports bidirectional charging, though you’ll need a compatible charger and often a separate hardware unit.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, along with the Kia EV6, all support V2G using CCS connectors (the more common standard in Europe), but only at chargers specifically designed for CCS bidirectional charging. That’s most of the Octopus Energy network and some newer Gridserve installations.
The MG5 EV has V2G capability built in, making it one of the most affordable ways into bidirectional charging. The Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 support it in theory, but VW hasn’t rolled out the software update yet in the UK. Typical.
Tesla vehicles can technically do V2G, but Tesla hasn’t enabled it outside their Powerwall home system. You can’t sell back through public chargers.
How Much Can You Actually Earn?
I spoke to several early adopters using Octopus’s V2G scheme, and the figures are modest but real.
James from Manchester, who uses his Ioniq 5 with a public V2G charger near his office three times a week, reports earning between £15 and £25 per month during winter months when grid demand is highest. That’s based on the car discharging around 10 kWh per session back to the grid during peak pricing windows (typically 4pm to 7pm).
Sarah in Brighton uses EDF’s residential V2G chargers and sees slightly higher returns, around £30 monthly, because she’s parked for longer periods and can take advantage of more discharge cycles.
These numbers assume you’re paying roughly 7p per kWh to charge overnight (on an EV-specific tariff) and selling back at peak rates of 25p to 35p per kWh. The difference is your profit, minus a small service fee that varies by network. Octopus typically takes a 15% cut; EDF charges a flat £3 monthly subscription.
That said, you’re also adding charge cycles to your battery. Most manufacturers warrant their batteries for degradation, but frequent V2G use could theoretically accelerate wear. The jury’s still out on long-term impacts, though early data suggests it’s minimal if managed properly by the charging system.
Is It Worth the Hassle?
For most drivers, honestly, not yet. You need to live or work near one of the limited V2G locations, own a compatible vehicle, download yet another app, and actively manage when your car is plugged in. The financial return, while genuine, isn’t life-changing.
Where it does make sense: if you’re someone who regularly parks in the same public location for several hours (think commuters using Park & Ride, or people who work near a V2G-enabled supermarket), and you were going to charge there anyway. In that case, earning an extra £200 to £300 annually is a nice bonus for very little effort.
The bigger picture is that V2G infrastructure needs to expand significantly before it becomes a standard consideration for most EV drivers. Right now, it’s a nice option for the geographically fortunate, but not something to base your EV purchase decision on unless you’ve confirmed there’s a compatible charger within your regular driving patterns.
My advice: check Zapmap for V2G chargers in your area (they’re marked with a special icon), and if there’s one you’d use regularly anyway, it’s worth signing up. If you’d be going out of your way, save yourself the bother for now.