Scaling Digital Solutions for EV Charging

Gridio is an Estonian cleantech startup that builds software to optimize when electric vehicles (and other home devices) consume electricity, aligning usage with cheap, renewable-heavy hours to cut costs and ease grid stress.

Gridio’s core product automatically schedules EV charging based on real-time electricity prices, grid congestion signals, and renewable availability, so cars charge when it’s cheapest and cleanest without user intervention. The software connects directly to OEM clouds (car manufacturers) and to solar/battery inverters, so users don’t need extra hardware to enable smart charging. It offers a consumer app across the EU and also provides API/white-label “smart charging as a service” for businesses with EV drivers (e.g., fleets, energy retailers, employers).

Connect with Braeden Holmes on LinkedIn here.

00:00 – Introduction: Why EV Flexibility Matters02:20 – Building Gridio: From B2C Proof of Concept to B2B Scale05:30 – Solving the OEM Challenge09:15 – Selling to Utilities: The Long Road to Scale13:30 – Europe’s Innovation Landscape15:45 – The Biggest Scaling Challenge: Changing Minds19:00 – From Pilot to Procurement22:00 – Winning Tenders and Scaling Deployments25:00 – The Future of EV Flexibility28:00 – Advice for Climate Tech Founders

The State of Vehicle-to-Grid Technologies

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) is a smart charging system that enables a bidirectional flow of energy between EVs and the power grid. The EV can feed electricity back into the grid during peak demand hours, mitigating grid constraints. To achieve this the vehicle must be connected to a compatible bidirectional charging station, communicating with the local utility provider.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a regulatory milestone was reached when “Germany eliminated double grid fees for bidirectional charging points at the end of 2025”, effectively clearing the path for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) commercialization. Before this shift, electric vehicle (EV) owners were financially penalized, paying grid fees twice: once when charging the vehicle and again when feeding energy back into the system. Drawing from the latest reports by the IEA, this article breaks down how the technology works, the economic incentives and hurdles left to clear.

BloombergNEF’s Electric Vehicle Outlook forecasts that the global EV fleet’s consumption will skyrocket from 367 terawatt-hours in 2025 to over 2,700 terawatt-hours by 2040. This is why the global grid infrastructure will require an investment of over $800 billion by 2040. Consequently, V2G can be seen as a significant opportunity for grid expansion. For instance, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) recently invested $16.8 million to expand residential V2G projects, accelerating the adoption of EVs as flexible energy assets.

How It Works

AC vs. DC Charging

To enable bidirectional power transfer, power electronics must convert electricity, while strictly complying with utility grid standards. Currently, the market offers two technological paths:

* AC (Alternating Current) Charging: In this setup, the vehicle converts the battery’s DC power to the grid’s AC power. The external charger acts merely as a communication link.

* DC (Direct Current) Charging: Here the vehicle exports DC electricity straight out of the battery. The external DC charger converts the power to AC. The external charger is responsible for grid compliance and tracking real-time grid stability.

The Rise of Dynamic Tariffs

For individual EV owners, the transition from consumer to energy trader relies on software innovations. While retail consumers traditionally pay a flat rate for electricity, utilities trade on volatile energy exchange markets. During midday, when solar generation is high, the prices usually drop. In the evening peak hours, as people return home and switch on household appliances, demand increases, forcing utilities to turn on power stations.

V2G eliminates this inefficiency through dynamic electricity tariffs, adjusting consumer electricity prices in short intervals based on the market conditions. The charging station management system (CSMS) calculates optimal charging schedules, allowing the vehicle to acquire energy when it’s cheapest and sell it back when demand is high.

From Car Owner to Energy Trader

The IEA estimates that EV owners participating in V2G grid services can generate revenues ranging to over $1000 per year.

The EV owners can create revenue through three primary value streams:

* Energy Arbitrage: Charging when demand is low and discharging when prices are high.

* Ancillary Services: Providing frequency and voltage stability to grid operators, by adjusting charging times.

* Blackout Support: Offer emergency power source to help restore electricity during grid failures.

However, the window of high profitability may not last forever. As many more EVs join the grid and offer V2G, the supply of stability services will skyrocket, causing financial returns to eventually decline. But at the moment, vehicle availability remains scarce, less than 1,5% of all EV models possess V2G capabilities, representing only 22 models, as depicted by the IEA.

International Energy Agency (IEA) (2026). License: CC BY 4.0.

Challenges

At the moment, V2G faces two main challenges:

* Protocol Fragmentations: The universal communication standard for bidirectional charging, ISO 15118-20, is still inconsistently implemented. Additionally, most V2G offers remain isolated within single countries, due to different grid regulations.

* Battery Degradation: EV owners have feared that V2G would destroy their battery’s health. However, smart charging can actually reduce capacity loss, compared to uncontrolled charging. Scaling of V2G relies on the integration of advanced battery management systems featuring predictive degradation models.

All in all, with increasing demand for energy and a growing number of EVs on the road, V2G offers an opportunity to stabilize the grid, by adapting to dynamic electricity tariffs. Car owners can generate revenue, while optimizing the battery health. However, the international communication standard still requires global adoption.