Leapmotor confirms vehicle-to-grid testing in Australia, eyes Amber collaboration

Leapmotor has confirmed preliminary vehicle-to-grid (V2G) testing has taken place in Australia, as it explores a potential collaboration with energy retailer Amber Electric.

The confirmation follows comments from Leapmotor’s global product planning team that Australia had become one of the company’s leading markets for the technology.

“Preliminary V2G testing has been undertaken in Australia as part of our ongoing evaluation of the technology and its potential applications,” a Stellantis Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.

“We are currently exploring opportunities for broader collaboration and further testing, including with Amber, and look forward to sharing more information in due course.”

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Leapmotor hasn’t identified the vehicle used in the testing, the bidirectional charger involved, where the testing occurred, or whether electricity was successfully exported into the grid.

It also hasn’t confirmed a customer trial, commercial launch or timetable for introducing vehicle-to-grid capability to its Australian vehicles.

The local statement is nevertheless the clearest confirmation yet that Leapmotor is actively testing the technology here, rather than simply assessing Australia as a possible future market.

V2G technology allows a compatible electric vehicle (EV) to send electricity from its battery back into the grid through an approved bidirectional charger.

That allows an EV to charge when electricity is cheap or renewable generation is high, then potentially export energy during periods of stronger demand and higher prices.

Speaking with media including CarExpert during the international launch of the Leapmotor B03X in Spain, Leapmotor global product planning executive Tianyue Zhong identified Australia as the company’s leading opportunity for V2G.

He pointed to Australia’s high uptake of rooftop solar and the amount of household-generated electricity that can’t always be used or exported when it is produced.

Mr Zhong said Leapmotor had begun preliminary V2G work locally and was also considering a subsequent pilot program in the UK.

He identified battery warranty coverage and compatibility with different electricity networks as two of the main issues still to be resolved.