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Getting paid to plug in your electric car sounds appealing—but is vehicle-to-grid worth it for you? In Part Two of this V2G special, we examined the deal for the owner: how availability payments work, which hours qualify and what you give an energy provider permission to control. We explore offers from BMW and E.ON, Mercedes, Renault, Octopus and BYD, and We Drive Solar and Hegg, including the conditions behind the advertised rewards.
The return depends on more than the headline payment. We look at charger prices, installation costs, subscriptions and eligibility, plus how solar panels, export approval and changing your car or electricity supplier can affect the service. We also explain why powering your home during a blackout requires the right installation, and where a stationary home battery offers a different benefit.
Finally, we compare V2G with ordinary smart charging—the savings you could already make without exporting electricity. We examine energy losses, battery ageing, warranty conditions, data security and long-term repairs and support. The central question is whether V2G can deliver a dependable extra benefit after costs, even when introductory rewards end or your circumstances change.

Your electric car’s battery could do much more than drive the wheels. In Part One of this vehicle-to-grid special, Martyn Lee explores how EVs can power appliances, supply a home or send electricity back to the grid. We explain AC and DC bidirectional charging, the differences between V2L, V2H and V2G, and why the car, charger and electricity supplier need to work together.
With manufacturers and energy companies bringing complete V2G packages to market, is this the turning point for wider adoption? We look at European household offers, Tesla’s Powershare home backup and grid support, and expanding shared-car fleets in the Netherlands. Projects in Australia, China and California show how cars and electric school buses are being used to support electricity networks.
We also explore what makes V2G useful: absorbing solar energy, meeting evening demand and helping keep the grid stable. But a parked car is only useful to the grid when it’s connected to compatible equipment and has energy to spare. From communication standards to installation and supplier restrictions, we examine what still needs to happen before V2G becomes an everyday choice—and set up Part Two’s question: is it worth it for the owner?

SLATE OPENS FIRST SHOWROOM FOR $26,400 ELECTRIC PICKUP
Slate has opened its first showroom in Chicago ahead of sales later this year, showcasing its $26,400 electric pickup, including destination fees, with a projected EPA range of 205 miles. Optional kits can convert the basic truck into a five-seat SUV, while servicing will use RepairPal’s independent network, including more than 100 workshops capable of working on high-voltage EV systems.
FRANCE’S EV SHARE HITS 42%, LED BY MODEL Y
Electric cars took 42% of France’s new-car market in September, up from 22% a year earlier, led by Tesla’s Model Y ahead of the Renault 5 and electric Twingo. Social leasing capped at €200 a month helped support demand, but only the Renault 5 among those three is assembled in France, highlighting the challenge of turning growing EV sales into domestic manufacturing gains.
BMW RAISES IX5 EPA RANGE ESTIMATE TO 450 MILES
BMW has raised the iX5 60 xDrive’s estimated EPA range from 435 to 450 miles ahead of its planned launch in the first quarter of 2027. Its 144.0 kWh battery, BMW’s largest in a production vehicle, will support charging at up to 460 kW, with a quoted 10–80% charging time of 22 minutes.
GERMANY SEEKS FREEZE ON PLUG-IN HYBRID CO₂ RULES
Germany wants to freeze November’s correction to EU plug-in hybrid emissions calculations, which would reduce the assumed amount of electric driving to better reflect real-world use. Transport & Environment says plug-in hybrids registered in 2024 emitted around six times their official CO₂ figures and warns that a freeze would let carmakers meet 2030 targets while selling fewer battery electric cars.
MERCEDES CHIEF WARNS EU AGAINST EXCLUDING UK CARMAKERS
Mercedes-Benz chief Ola Källenius warns that excluding British carmakers from the EU’s proposed Made in Europe rules would damage manufacturers and supply chains on both sides of the Channel. Brussels says British tariffs on Chinese-built electric cars would strengthen the UK’s case for inclusion, but the British government says it isn’t considering them.
IONITY TO REPLACE CHARGERS THAT LEFT EVS STRANDED
Ionity will replace faulty chargers at Elverum in Norway after receiving six incident reports involving high-voltage safety fuses being triggered, leaving affected EVs unable to drive until those fuses are replaced. One Volkswagen ID. Buzz owner faces a reported $12,100 repair bill, with Ionity’s insurer handling the case and responsibility for payment still unresolved.
CHERY UNVEILS Q ELECTRIC HATCHBACK FOR EUROPE
Chery has unveiled its 4.2-metre Q electric hatchback for Europe, with a UK arrival expected in 2027 that would bring the brand’s first fully electric car to its British line-up. European specifications are still being finalised, but the South African version has a 42.7 kWh battery, a 90 kW rear motor and up to 400 km of NEDC range, with 30–80% DC charging in 16.5 minutes or less.
BYD SHARK WINS FIVE-STAR EURO NCAP RATING
BYD’s Shark DMO plug-in hybrid pickup has earned Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star safety rating, with UK orders open at £47,295 including VAT. The 321 kW pickup offers up to 90 km of WLTP electric range from a 32.2 kWh battery, with 55 kW DC charging taking 21 minutes from 30% to 80%, adding an electrified option to a diesel-dominated market.
TESLA ROADSTER RESERVATIONS COME WITHOUT DELIVERY GUARANTEE
Customers can pay up to $250,000 to reserve Tesla’s Roadster without securing a guaranteed car, delivery date, final price or fixed specification. Tesla is targeting a 2028 launch, with some reservations dating back to 2017; payments are fully refundable if customers cancel or Tesla cannot deliver, but reservations cannot be transferred.

It's ev.news Briefly for Saturday 17 October 2026, only today's headlines and nothing else, in just 4 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.
SLATE OPENS FIRST SHOWROOM FOR $26,400 ELECTRIC PICKUP
Slate has opened its first showroom in Chicago ahead of sales later this year, showcasing its $26,400 electric pickup, including destination fees, with a projected EPA range of 205 miles. Optional kits can convert the basic truck into a five-seat SUV, while servicing will use RepairPal’s independent network, including more than 100 workshops capable of working on high-voltage EV systems.
FRANCE’S EV SHARE HITS 42%, LED BY MODEL Y
Electric cars took 42% of France’s new-car market in September, up from 22% a year earlier, led by Tesla’s Model Y ahead of the Renault 5 and electric Twingo. Social leasing capped at €200 a month helped support demand, but only the Renault 5 among those three is assembled in France, highlighting the challenge of turning growing EV sales into domestic manufacturing gains.
BMW RAISES IX5 EPA RANGE ESTIMATE TO 450 MILES
BMW has raised the iX5 60 xDrive’s estimated EPA range from 435 to 450 miles ahead of its planned launch in the first quarter of 2027. Its 144.0 kWh battery, BMW’s largest in a production vehicle, will support charging at up to 460 kW, with a quoted 10–80% charging time of 22 minutes.
GERMANY SEEKS FREEZE ON PLUG-IN HYBRID CO₂ RULES
Germany wants to freeze November’s correction to EU plug-in hybrid emissions calculations, which would reduce the assumed amount of electric driving to better reflect real-world use. Transport & Environment says plug-in hybrids registered in 2024 emitted around six times their official CO₂ figures and warns that a freeze would let carmakers meet 2030 targets while selling fewer battery electric cars.
MERCEDES CHIEF WARNS EU AGAINST EXCLUDING UK CARMAKERS
Mercedes-Benz chief Ola Källenius warns that excluding British carmakers from the EU’s proposed Made in Europe rules would damage manufacturers and supply chains on both sides of the Channel. Brussels says British tariffs on Chinese-built electric cars would strengthen the UK’s case for inclusion, but the British government says it isn’t considering them.
IONITY TO REPLACE CHARGERS THAT LEFT EVS STRANDED
Ionity will replace faulty chargers at Elverum in Norway after receiving six incident reports involving high-voltage safety fuses being triggered, leaving affected EVs unable to drive until those fuses are replaced. One Volkswagen ID. Buzz owner faces a reported $12,100 repair bill, with Ionity’s insurer handling the case and responsibility for payment still unresolved.
CHERY UNVEILS Q ELECTRIC HATCHBACK FOR EUROPE
Chery has unveiled its 4.2-metre Q electric hatchback for Europe, with a UK arrival expected in 2027 that would bring the brand’s first fully electric car to its British line-up. European specifications are still being finalised, but the South African version has a 42.7 kWh battery, a 90 kW rear motor and up to 400 km of NEDC range, with 30–80% DC charging in 16.5 minutes or less.
BYD SHARK WINS FIVE-STAR EURO NCAP RATING
BYD’s Shark DMO plug-in hybrid pickup has earned Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star safety rating, with UK orders open at £47,295 including VAT. The 321 kW pickup offers up to 90 km of WLTP electric range from a 32.2 kWh battery, with 55 kW DC charging taking 21 minutes from 30% to 80%, adding an electrified option to a diesel-dominated market.
TESLA ROADSTER RESERVATIONS COME WITHOUT DELIVERY GUARANTEE
Customers can pay up to $250,000 to reserve Tesla’s Roadster without securing a guaranteed car, delivery date, final price or fixed specification. Tesla is targeting a 2028 launch, with some reservations dating back to 2017; payments are fully refundable if customers cancel or Tesla cannot deliver, but reservations cannot be transferred.

Tesla says its new Roadster can reach 60 miles per hour in 0.81 seconds with only the rear wheels driven. In this episode of ev.news Tech, I explain how fans and gas thrusters help make that possible, and why the proposed car has changed so much since its announcement in 2017.
Fans draw air from beneath the car, pressing the tyres harder against the road to improve acceleration, braking and cornering. Compressed-gas thrusters add force directly to the car, bypassing the tyres’ grip limit. We follow the engineering from the fan-equipped Performance version to the single-seat Rocket, which adds jets for lift and movement in the air, and explore what McMurtry and the student-built Mythen have already demonstrated.
Behind those bursts of speed are practical demands: keeping the battery cool, controlling airflow beneath a moving car and replenishing gas tanks after seconds of full-power use. We examine how Tesla is balancing power, weight and running time, where SpaceX and Optimus hardware fit into the design, and what comparisons with Rimac and BYD reveal about building an electric car that can keep performing.