The Complete Handbook to Vehicle-to-Everything for Private Owners

Introduction – why is everyone talking about V2X right now?

The electricity market is in flux. Electricity prices fluctuate from hour to hour and new peak demand charges mean that when you use electricity has become just as important as how much. Meanwhile, most electric cars are parked more than 90% of the time – with batteries containing enough energy to power an entire household for several days.

This is where Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) comes in. The technology allows your car not only to charge, but also to share its energy – to the home, to the property, or back to the grid. It's the starting signal for a new era where the car becomes an active part of the energy system.

What does V2X actually mean?

You've probably heard terms like V2X, V2G, V2H, and V2L – but what do they stand for and why does it matter? Here's a quick guide:

• V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) is the overarching concept for an electric car being able to share its energy, regardless of where it goes.

• V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) means the car can send electricity back to the grid. This can generate revenue through ancillary services and help balance the entire energy system.

• V2H (Vehicle-to-Home) means the car directly supplies the house, which is perfect for cutting peak demand or avoiding high prices.

• V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) is the simplest variant, where you use the car's battery to power individual appliances via a power outlet. Perfect for camping, tools, or emergency situations.

In other words: the car is no longer just a means of transport. It becomes a flexible battery that can be used in several different ways, depending on your needs and what hardware you have installed.

Your electric car is more than just a vehicle

The electric car is parked over 90% of the time. During this time, you have a battery that holds enough energy to power your entire home for several days – but which often just sits unused. Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) is about unlocking that potential.

With V2X, the car becomes a smart energy storage unit. It can charge when electricity is cheap and green-produced, and then deliver electricity back when prices are high or when the grid needs support.

What is V2X in practice?

V2X means bidirectional charging. The car can both receive and deliver electricity. This opens up three major opportunities:

• Smart charging: fill the battery when prices are low.

• Use the car at home: discharge when electricity prices or peak charges are high or when the house draws a lot of power.

• Support the grid: participate in balancing markets (ancillary services) and get compensated for it.

Everything happens automatically with a V2X-compatible charger and a solution like Sourceful's, where our real-time meter ZAP in combination with our platform ensures that energy flows are optimized second by second.

Why is timing so important?

The electricity market is changing rapidly. Prices fluctuate more than ever and peak demand charges mean that peaks in your usage can become expensive.

With V2X, the car can smooth out these fluctuations. You charge when it's cheap, avoid unnecessarily burdening the grid, and avoid paying extra when everyone else turns on the oven at the same time.

How is the battery affected?

A common concern is that more charging cycles wear out the battery. Research shows that the impact is minimal if V2X is managed smartly. Volkswagen, for example, guarantees that the battery in their electric cars retains at least 70% capacity for up to 8 years or 160,000 km (Volkswagen Sweden).

Studies indicate that extra degradation from V2X can be as low as a few percent over several years – and often less than the natural variation between different cells in a battery (Recurrent Auto, ScienceDirect).

Sourceful also protects the battery by following recommended charge levels (e.g., 20–80%), avoiding deep discharges, and monitoring health in real-time.

How do you get started?

For individuals, three things are required:

1. A V2X-compatible charger – the hardware that makes bidirectional charging possible.

2. A smart meter like ZAP – to read and control energy flows in real-time via your grid operator's electricity meter.

3. An app that optimizes automatically – so you don't have to plan yourself.

When the car is connected, the rest is handled automatically.