The discharge was achieved by using the ISO 15118-20 communication protocol, an international standard for bidirectional power transfer between EVs and charging equipment.

The protocol provides the secure, interoperable framework required for V2G, vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-everything applications.

Hyundai Australia used the protocol to discharge from a Ioniq 9 EV to a StarCharge Halo 7.4kW bidirectional DC charger.

Hyundai said it was a milestone that highlights Hyundai’s leadership in bringing an ISO 15118-20-enabled vehicle platform to Australia.

It said that with the Ioniq 9 Hyundai is helping establish a standards-based pathway for scalable, manufacturer-supported V2G and V2X deployment across homes, buildings, energy networks and virtual power plants. 

Hyundai Motor Company of Australia (HMCA) CEO Don Romano said the achievement was the result of sustained technical work by Hyundai’s R&D teams in Korea and Australia.

Hyundai Motor Company of Australia (HMCA) CEO Don Romano

“ISO 15118-20 includes all the messages and sequence requirements for bidirectional power transfer,” he said.

“Getting this right is essential because V2G will only scale in Australia if consumers, energy providers, and governments can trust the technology.

“Electric cars can do far more than just drive. They can power homes and support the grid.

“This first V2G discharge using ISO 15118-20 with the Ioniq 9 demonstrates that we are delivering real innovation, not just talking about it.”

Adding to Mr Romano’s comments, StarCharge Energy Oceania director of eMobility Austin Luo said the demonstration is a milestone moment for Australia’s V2G market.“This is an important milestone for Australia’s V2G market and a strong demonstration of Hyundai’s leadership in bringing ISO 15118-20-enabled vehicle technology to Australia through the Ioniq 9,” he said.

“StarCharge is proud to support Hyundai with the StarCharge Halo 7.4 kW bidirectional DC charger, and we look forward to working with industry partners to accelerate standards-compliant, manufacturer-supported V2G (vehicle to grid) adoption across Australia.” 

Hyundai models under evaluation or development for V2G in Australia include the Ioniq 9, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and future Ioniq platforms. 

Globally, Hyundai Motor Group is advancing V2X (vehicle to everything) capabilities through Korea’s first customer-focused V2G pilot on Jeju Island, commercial V2G services in Europe, and V2H services in the US.

Australia adopted national V2G and V2H (vehicle to home) standards in 2024. National energy agency ARENA forecasts up to 2.6 million Australian homes could adopt V2G by 2040. 

HMCA said it encourages all stakeholders to ensure V2G programs use manufacturer-approved technology compliant with ISO 15118-20.

The StarCharge Halo received Clean Energy Council (CEC) listing in March 2026 and is AS/NZS 4777.2 compliant.

The Ioniq 9 is built on Hyundai’s electric-global modular platform (E-GMP) with 800-volt architecture designed for high-power DC charging and bidirectional energy flows. 

This milestone confirms that local V2G software enablement and certification is progressing in 2026.

By Neil Dowling