V2L, V2H and V2G: what is the difference?
Last summer, the family ran a kettle from a socket in the boot on a camping trip.
Tonight, the car will power the whole house. Next year, the supplier offers to use it on the electricity market.
The questionWhat separates these three uses?
| Energy goes to | Public grid | Typical need | |
|---|---|---|---|
| V2Lvehicle to load | a device | a socket on the car | |
| V2Hvehicle to home | the house | behind the meter | a bidirectional wallbox |
| V2Gvehicle to grid | the grid | wallbox, contract, rules |
Each step reaches further, and brings in more parties: the house's installation, the grid operator, the electricity market.
Each step adds parties
- is between the car and a device. No grid, no contract, no meter.
- powers the house behind its meter. The grid sees less consumption, not a generator; the installation must be able to separate from the grid if needed.
- feeds into the public grid. The car becomes part of the power system, with rules for generators, metering and a market to sell into.
RED III asks Member States to let small and mobile systems such as electric cars take part in the electricity markets, including flexibility and balancing services, also through .
Check your understanding
3 questions. Answer all of them to complete this stop. Each answer explains itself.
Which use feeds energy into the public grid?
V2L powers a device, V2H the house behind its meter; only V2G feeds the public grid.
What does V2H need that V2L does not?
V2L uses a socket on the car; V2H connects the car to the house through a bidirectional wallbox.
Which EU rule opens electricity markets to electric cars?
Article 20a(5) of RED III asks for non-discriminatory participation of small and mobile systems, also through aggregation.
- Aggregator A company that pools many small devices, such as cars and home batteries, so they can take part in electricity markets. Energy and grid integration, stop 02 Glossary
- V2H Vehicle to home: the car powers the house behind its meter through a bidirectional wallbox. Glossary
- V2G Vehicle to grid: the car feeds energy into the public grid, usually through an aggregator or supplier. Glossary
- V2L Vehicle to load: the car powers a device through a socket, without the grid. Glossary
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2023/2413 (RED III), Article 20a inserted into Directive (EU) 2018/2001. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2413/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.