Germany has adopted a legal amendment that removes multiple charging of electricity used in bidirectional systems, a shift industry experts say could reshape the economics of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
On Thursday evening, the Bundestag approved the “Draft Act Amending Energy Industry Law to Strengthen Consumer Protection in the Energy Sector and Amending Further Energy Regulations,” a wide-ranging update to electricity and gas market rules spanning more than 250 pages.
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An amendment included in the final resolution of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy—found on page 149 of the document—states that electricity drawn from Germany’s transmission or distribution grids, stored, and later fed back into the same grid will no longer be subject to grid fees or electricity tax. The change applies both to stationary battery systems and electric vehicles capable of bidirectional charging.
Until now, electric cars were legally classified solely as vehicles rather than storage units. This prevented them from benefiting from exemptions available to stationary batteries and resulted in “double charging”: electricity was billed when taken from the grid and again when returned to it. The approach made V2G economically unviable for most operators and consumers.
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The amendment also cites § 21 of the German Energy Financing Act to ensure the exemption still applies when only part of the stored energy is fed back into the grid. It further clarifies that bidirectional charging points will be treated like conventional storage systems for tax and fee purposes.
Supporters of bidirectional technologies welcomed the decision, calling it a necessary step to unlock new business models. Specific legal provisions for V2G have been rare in Germany, and alignment with stationary storage rules is expected to remove a long-standing regulatory barrier.
At the same time, Germany’s Federal Network Agency is consulting on its “Determination on Market Integration of Storage and Charging Points” (MiSpeL). The proposal includes a simplified flat-rate option that would allow households with rooftop solar, home batteries or EV chargers to feed energy into the grid without installing a second meter. The option would significantly simplify measurement requirements and enable hybrid storage systems that combine solar and grid electricity.
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Taken together, both regulatory changes could clear the way for broader bidirectional charging as early as next year. Still, experts say grid operators will need nine to twelve months to update internal IT systems, and the rollout will depend on households installing smart meters.
Germany has so far limited V2G activities to small pilots or individual home systems. A recent study by think tank Agora estimates EV owners could earn up to 500 euros per year by 2030 by participating in V2G programmes.
Not all proposals advanced smoothly. A Green Party initiative to fully digitalise the grid-connection application process was rejected. Fast-charging operators have repeatedly criticised the varying procedures across regions, but such delays are considered typical within Germany’s complex regulatory landscape.
