More Flexibility for the Power System: Eon Drives Bidirectional Charging Towards the Mass Market
Munich/Düsseldorf – As the expansion of renewable energies accelerates and the number of electrical consumers grows, the need for flexible control options within the energy system is increasing. Energy group Eon is testing, as part of a research and demonstration project, how electric vehicles could actively contribute to grid stabilisation in the future.
Electric Vehicles Become Part of the Energy System
At the heart of the project is the question of how flexible capacities from households can be used in a system-serving manner. To this end, electric vehicles, photovoltaic systems, stationary storage units and energy management systems are being interconnected.
"The next step in bidirectional charging is clear: moving away from standalone solutions towards integration into the energy system," says Stefan Padberg, Head of Innovation at E.ON. „Household flexibility is becoming a real building block of the energy transition – enhancing grid stability, enabling more efficient use of renewable energy and supporting an affordable energy system."
Test Bed for Redispatch 3.0 and Grid Stability
A key focus of the project is the system-serving use of decentralised flexibility within the power grid. The project examines how electric vehicles can be specifically controlled to balance grid congestion and support existing grid processes.
In the long term, the findings are intended to feed into concepts for what is known as "Redispatch 3.0", in which smaller decentralised installations would be incorporated into grid management for the first time.
The project also addresses questions of metering and balancing energy flows – in particular, how electricity from vehicle batteries can be accurately recorded and integrated into market and grid processes.
Linking Electromobility and Photovoltaics
A further focus is on the combination of electromobility, photovoltaics and home energy systems. Vehicles are intended not only to be charged, but also to serve as flexible storage units in order to optimise self-consumption while simultaneously providing grid-serving services.
The electric vehicle is thus increasingly becoming part of an integrated household energy system that takes into account both private and systemic requirements.
Open Systems as a Prerequisite for Scaling
A central objective of the project is the development of interoperable solutions that function across manufacturers. This is intended to lay the foundation for broad market deployment.
"Only through such open standards can flexibility be aggregated at a scale that sustainably supports the energy system," according to project sources. The consortium brings together partners from the energy sector, the automotive industry and research institutions.
About the BDL Next Research Project
The "BDL Next" project is accompanied by a cross-industry consortium under academic leadership. Participants include energy suppliers, grid operators, vehicle manufacturers and research institutions.
The aim is to test bidirectional charging under real-world conditions and to lay the groundwork for subsequent broad market deployment.
Source: IWR Online, 29 May 2026
