Europe’s V2G in 2026: BMW pilot pays EV owners up to €720
V2G arrives in Europe in 2026: BMW and Eon let iX3 owners earn up to €720 a year
Europe’s V2G in 2026: BMW pilot pays EV owners up to €720
Europe brings V2G online in 2026: BMW and Eon will pay iX3 owners up to €720 a year for feeding power to grid, as dynamic tariffs and smart meters pave rollout.
2025-09-29T20:16:05+03:00
2025-09-29T20:16:05+03:00
2025-09-29T20:16:05+03:00
Starting in 2026, Europe will bring V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) online, a technology that lets electric cars feed power back into the grid in return for compensation. The first rollout will come in Germany from BMW and energy company Eon: iX3 owners will be able to earn up to €720 a year, roughly equivalent to 14,000 km of driving without charging costs — a simple, easy-to-grasp payoff.A study by Forschungsstelle fur Energiewirtschaft, conducted together with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and several grid operators, suggests V2G could scale widely in 2026–2027. For that to happen, the essentials are clear: tax incentives on electricity, large-scale pilots that integrate EVs into the energy system, and uniform rules for connecting vehicles to the grid.The approach also relies on dynamic tariffs and broad adoption of smart meters; without those tools, sending energy back to the grid remains economically unattractive. Researchers expect the full tariff framework to be ready by 2029, while the first commercial programs are due in about a year and a half — a cautious but tangible shift from concept to driveway.For drivers, this signals a new kind of EV ownership: the car becomes not just transportation, but an asset that can generate income while helping to steady the power system. Framed this way, an electric vehicle feels less like a passive appliance and more like an active player in the energy mix.
V2G, vehicle-to-grid, Europe 2026, BMW, Eon, iX3, earn €720 a year, dynamic tariffs, smart meters, grid services, EV owners, Germany, pilots, tariff framework 2029, energy system
2025
Michael Powers
news
V2G arrives in Europe in 2026: BMW and Eon let iX3 owners earn up to €720 a year
Europe brings V2G online in 2026: BMW and Eon will pay iX3 owners up to €720 a year for feeding power to grid, as dynamic tariffs and smart meters pave rollout.
Michael Powers, Editor
Starting in 2026, Europe will bring V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) online, a technology that lets electric cars feed power back into the grid in return for compensation. The first rollout will come in Germany from BMW and energy company Eon: iX3 owners will be able to earn up to €720 a year, roughly equivalent to 14,000 km of driving without charging costs — a simple, easy-to-grasp payoff.
A study by Forschungsstelle fur Energiewirtschaft, conducted together with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and several grid operators, suggests V2G could scale widely in 2026–2027. For that to happen, the essentials are clear: tax incentives on electricity, large-scale pilots that integrate EVs into the energy system, and uniform rules for connecting vehicles to the grid.
The approach also relies on dynamic tariffs and broad adoption of smart meters; without those tools, sending energy back to the grid remains economically unattractive. Researchers expect the full tariff framework to be ready by 2029, while the first commercial programs are due in about a year and a half — a cautious but tangible shift from concept to driveway.
For drivers, this signals a new kind of EV ownership: the car becomes not just transportation, but an asset that can generate income while helping to steady the power system. Framed this way, an electric vehicle feels less like a passive appliance and more like an active player in the energy mix.
