17:41 21-05-2026

Renault turns electric Renault 4 and 5 into home energy system with V2G

Renault launches V2G technology for electric Renault 4 and 5 in the Netherlands, enabling owners to store and sell energy. Potential savings up to €1,000 per year.

Renault is turning its electric Renault 4 and 5 into components of a home energy system. According to European media citing AD, the company is the first automaker in the Netherlands to offer private customers vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

The concept is straightforward: the car charges when cheap green energy is abundant on the grid and feeds electricity back when demand and prices rise. To make it work, you need a special home charging station (€1,245, installation not included), a We Drive Solar subscription, and a dynamic energy contract from supplier Hegg. The owner doesn't control discharge directly—they simply set in the app when the car needs to be ready for a trip.

Maximum savings of up to €1,000 per year are achievable only under ideal conditions: a private parking spot, plenty of solar panels, regular plug-in time, and low annual mileage. According to Independer, the average benefit is closer to €300 per year. Renault also caps energy output at 5,000 kWh per year over eight years to preserve battery life.

The company expects the battery to stay in good shape if it's kept between 20% and 80% charge. After eight years of such use, the battery warranty under the scheme ends. The system has completed one year of testing, and We Drive Solar already uses similar technology on 300 shared electric cars in Utrecht.