Polestar and charging operator Clever are testing V2X functionality in selected Danish households, enabling electric vehicles to supply power to homes and feed excess energy back to the grid during peak demand periods.
In a joint pilot programme launching this week, Polestar and Clever are conducting the first full-scale V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) trial in Denmark, where electric vehicles can not only charge but also discharge power to homes and the national grid. The system allows vehicles to function as distributed energy storage, reducing household energy costs, stabilising grid capacity, and providing backup power during outages.
Three core functions under test
The pilot programme focuses on three operational scenarios:
- Vehicle-to-Home (V2H): Powering domestic loads during peak grid demand and high electricity prices
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): Supplying energy back to the grid during periods of peak demand
- Emergency backup (island mode): Supplying backup power to the home during grid outages
Testing takes place in selected Danish homes using Polestar 4 vehicles paired with Clever’s intelligent energy management platform. Polestar’s software architecture enables new functionality and improvements to be rolled out remotely via over-the-air updates, allowing the automaker to expand and refine V2X features throughout the trial period, which runs until autumn 2026.
From concept to reality
Clever’s platform already manages intelligent charging schedules and grid-demand response for connected vehicles. V2X technology extends this capability, enabling automatic charging during low-price periods and automated discharge to homes or the grid when demand spikes or costs rise.
The commercial opportunity grows as electricity generation and consumption both increase. Dynamic grid management and renewable energy integration depend on flexible storage and demand response. EVs equipped with bidirectional charging hardware represent a significant, distributed storage asset.
Clever intends to launch the first commercial V2X offerings in 2027. The pilot assumes households can offset their highest-price consumption hours by storing cheap electricity and deploying it during peak-rate periods. A fully charged Polestar 4 contains sufficient stored energy to power an average home for several days, depending on seasonal consumption and household demand.
Grid Resilience and Emergency Capacity
Island-mode functionality also addresses grid resilience. The trial investigates how EV batteries can serve as emergency backup during outages or grid instability, isolated from external supply and powering the home directly from the vehicle’s battery pack.
