Mitsubishi confirms Australia-first Vehicle-to-Grid power exports

Mitsubishi is the first car brand in Australia to be approved for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) after receiving the official go-ahead from SA Power Networks (SAPN).

The approval means the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV can feed electricity from their battery packs directly into the South Australian power grid.

“MMAL [Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited] is now unconditionally able to export power from its PHEVs into the grid,” said MMAL’s eMobility manager Tim Clarke.

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Vehicle-to-Grid charging – part of the more broadly termed bidirectional charging – enables PHEVs to sell power back to the grid the same way rooftop solar panel users are able to.

Approval for V2G charging was approved in South Australia in 2022 with Jet Charge offering the only certified bi-directional charger in Australia, the Wallbox Quasar 1 launched in 2020.

JET Charge worked with Wallbox, SAPN as well as Mitsubishi and Nissan for the V2G approval, with the Nissan Leaf EV also capable – though not yet approved – of feeding power back to the electricity grid.

"Bi-directional charging will fundamentally change how we view transport and energy. It will make our vehicles an even bigger part of our everyday lives, powering how we move and how we live,” said JET Charge CEO Tim Washington.

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“That's why we're so excited to partner with Mitsubishi Motors to further this cause. It takes different parts of the industry, all working together, to deliver this value for Australians, and I feel like we have made a significant step with this project.”

For Mitsubishi to achieve approval, a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was connected to Wallbox Quasar 1 bi-directional hardware supplied and installed by Jet Charge as part of SAPN’s ‘witness testing’.

The Outlander PHEV safely exported electricity from its 20kWh lithium-ion battery via its CHAdeMO fast-charging DC (Direct Current) port into the state’s power grid.

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“As Australia’s V2G landscape continues to mature and access to bi-directional hardware increases, Mitsubishi PHEV owners are well positioned to benefit,” Clarke added.

“They will be able to export from their PHEV to the grid or home, reinforcing PHEV’s versatility, while enhancing renewable energy deployment and reducing CO2 emissions across transport and in the grid.

The South Australian electricity grid receives more than 70 per cent of its power from renewable resources and has a target to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy by 2027.