Power
Mercedes-Benz introduces bidirectional charging in Germany
Mercedes-Benz has launched a vehicle-to-grid charging offering for electric vehicle owners in Germany in partnership with The Mobility House.
Key points
- Customers receive €0.1175 per hour for connected vehicles.
- The MB.Charge Home Pro Intelligent package includes an 11 kW DC wallbox.
- Households without rooftop solar are initially targeted due to regulatory rules.
What happened
Mercedes-Benz has joined other major car manufacturers by rolling out bidirectional charging services for electric vehicle owners in Germany, according to pv magazine. The initiative enables vehicle batteries to engage in electricity markets using vehicle-to-grid technology. Participants earn a payment of €0.1175 for each hour their car remains linked to the wallbox.
The rollout is delivered in collaboration with The Mobility House, an e-mobility service provider based in Munich. The bundled package, named MB.Charge Home Pro Intelligent, supplies an 11 kW bidirectional direct current wallbox termed ChargeLine BiDi. This hardware was engineered by The Mobility House alongside EcoG, a charging technology specialist, and Zhejiang EV-Tech, a Chinese manufacturer, utilizing nonproprietary technology for interoperability.
Rollout and restrictions
The wallbox carries a price tag of €2,990, though the initial 500 buyers qualify for a €1,000 reduction until March 2027 alongside a public charging voucher. At launch, the service is restricted to households lacking rooftop photovoltaic systems. This restriction avoids potential conflicts with Germany’s Renewable Energy Act, which currently prevents clear differentiation between grid power and solar energy used for charging, risking feed-in tariff losses. Regulatory adjustments are anticipated following a decision by the German Federal Network Agency, with grid operators given until September 2027 to apply the updated guidelines.
Compatibility currently extends to the all-electric Mercedes-Benz GLC and the new C-Class models, with plans to incorporate further vehicle lines through over-the-air updates. The manufacturer also intends to expand the technology to additional international markets.
Jörg Bartels, head of powertrain systems at the company, noted that the technology bridges automotive innovation with efficient renewable energy usage to establish value for both users and power infrastructure, as reported by pv magazine.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Grids decide whether generation becomes power that homes and businesses can rely on. Generation mix, transmission and distribution losses, and tariffs together shape reliability and the case for investment.
100.0% of people in Germany had electricity in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
