(Frankfurt am Main, September 10, 2026) In the current debate on the future of electric mobility, the focus is often on international competitiveness, the cost of electric vehicles, or their carbon footprint. From the perspective of the Association for Electrical, Electronic, and Information Technologies (VDE), however, this view does not go far enough: Electric vehicles are increasingly evolving from mere modes of transportation into active components of a smart and renewable energy system.
With bidirectional charging, vehicle batteries will in the future be capable of much more than simply powering the vehicle. They can absorb excess electricity from photovoltaic and wind power plants, reduce peak loads, and feed energy back into buildings or power grids as needed. In this way, electric vehicles become flexible energy storage units and support the integration of renewable energy.
“The next step in the development of electric mobility lies not in larger batteries, but in the intelligent networking of vehicles, charging infrastructure, and the power system,” says Dr. Ralf Petri, Managing Director of VDE Mobility and Managing Director of the Energy Technology Society within the VDE (VDE ETG). “This is precisely where new value is created for consumers, businesses, and the energy transition.”
Two Research Projects on Linking E-Mobility and the Energy System
Two VDE research projects funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) are investigating how this potential can be harnessed in practice. In the BiFlex-Industrie research project, electric vehicles capable of feeding power back into the grid are being tested at company sites in collaboration with industry and research partners. The goal is to demonstrate the benefits of bidirectional vehicle fleets for companies and the power grid, as well as to lay the groundwork for new business models in the energy sector. The project’s closing conference will take place on November 18; those interested can register here.
Meanwhile, the PeakSaver project is examining another key issue for the future of electric mobility: the intelligent use of vehicle data for energy management processes. The project is developing concepts to make measurement and status data from electric vehicles available in a standardized and secure manner for balancing, billing, and the marketing of flexibility services. In this way, PeakSaver is laying the groundwork for electric vehicles to be actively integrated into energy and flexibility markets in the future, regardless of their charging location.
An Opportunity for Germany as a Hub for Innovation and Industry
For bidirectional charging to transition from the pilot project to the mass market, internationally harmonized standards and end-to-end interoperability along the entire value chain are required. Crucial to this is the interaction between electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, building and energy management systems, and energy market stakeholders.
Key foundations for this are currently being established in international standardization projects. These include, in particular, the ISO 15118 family of standards for communication between vehicles and charging equipment, the IEC 61851 series for charging infrastructure, and IEC 63110 for the digitalization and remote control of charging infrastructure. In addition, standards for integration into energy management and grid control systems are becoming increasingly important.
The DKE (German Commission for Electrical, Electronic, and Information Technologies), supported by the VDE, brings the expertise of the automotive industry, the energy sector, academia, and charging infrastructure manufacturers to European and international standards bodies. The goal is to create manufacturer-agnostic, secure, and interoperable solutions so that electric vehicles can be systematically integrated into the energy system as flexible energy storage devices in the future. “In the future, international competition will not be decided solely by batteries and vehicle platforms. Open standards, interoperability, and the integration of electric vehicles into the energy system are just as important. Those who help shape the standards of tomorrow will also shape the markets of tomorrow,” says Alexander Nollau, Head of Energy & Mobility at the DKE.
“Germany and Europe have particular strengths in standardization, interoperability, and cybersecurity. These capabilities will be crucial for the next stage of development in electric mobility. Only when vehicles from different manufacturers can communicate securely and reliably with charging infrastructure, buildings, and power grids can bidirectional charging realize its full potential,” adds Ralf Petri.
The VDE sees this as an important opportunity for Germany as a hub for innovation and industry. As international competition in vehicle platforms and battery technologies intensifies, integration into the energy system, digital interfaces, and trustworthy standards are becoming increasingly important. Electric mobility, the energy transition, and digitalization are thus converging more and more closely. The VDE, the VDE ETG, and the DKE are supporting this transformation process through research, standardization, and dialogue between industry, the energy sector, academia, and policymakers.
