The California Energy Commission has awarded $1.1 million to Brooklyn-based charging company it’s electric to develop the world’s first curbside vehicle-to-grid (V2G) EV charger. The project is supported through the state’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) initiative under its Enabling Electric Vehicles as Distributed Energy Resources program.
In partnership with the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Delaware, the company aims to bring the technology to market by 2028. Unlike conventional chargers, the curbside V2G units will both charge EVs and feed electricity back into the grid, allowing parked vehicles to act as distributed energy resources.
The project will also introduce the J3068 Active Cable, combining an SAE-standard untethered charging format with Delaware’s Active Cable Communication Module to enable bidirectional charging while ensuring compatibility across different systems.
At scale, the technology could help California balance peak electricity demand, support low-income communities with equitable access to advanced charging infrastructure, and reduce the need for costly grid upgrades.
