There is no list of U.S. cities that “allow” V2G, because cities are not the decision-maker. Export permission is decided per address, by the utility serving it: the utility approves the grid connection (interconnection), and a utility programme or tariff is what the export runs under. Two streets in one city can fall in different utility territories.
Key Takeaways
- No city list of V2G permissions exists, because cities do not decide it.
- Availability is decided per address by the utility: interconnection approval plus a programme to export under.
- Three gates must all open — a car that may export, a bidirectional charger, and the utility’s approval with a programme to join.
- Check your own situation with the utility named on your bill, not your city.
Why the City Is the Wrong Level to Ask About
People reach for a city list because other parts of EV ownership work that way — a city or county issues the installation permit. But a permit covers installation work. Exporting power is a different act: it makes your equipment a small generator on the local network, and the network belongs to the utility:
| Decision | Who makes it | Where it is written |
|---|---|---|
| May this charger be installed at this address? | The local authority (permit and inspection), with a licensed electrician doing the work | The permit and the local electrical code |
| May this equipment push power back into the grid? | The utility serving the address, through its interconnection process | The utility’s interconnection approval for that connection |
| Will anyone coordinate and pay for the export? | The utility or programme operator running a V2G programme or export tariff | The programme terms you enrol under |
A city can encourage EVs, fund chargers and streamline permits, and none of it grants export rights. That is why the national picture is a patchwork of utility programmes and trials, not a map of permitted cities — the pattern the U.S. DOE’s V2X collaboration describes.
The Three Gates at One Address
For V2G to be available to you, three things have to line up at the same address. Each is a confirmation to obtain, not an assumption to make:
- A car that may export. Bidirectional use has to be enabled on your exact model, with the maker’s battery-warranty position stated in its terms. Which EVs can do bidirectional charging is a short, car-by-car list.
- A bidirectional charger. Export needs a unit built to convert and control power in both directions, speaking the same bidirectional standard as the car; ordinary chargers run one way.
- The utility’s approval and a programme to join. The interconnection application, the equipment certification the utility requires, metering for exported energy, and a programme or tariff that schedules and settles the export. Approval to connect and payment for export are separate agreements.
Until all three exist for one car, charger and address, V2G is a plan rather than a feature — which is why most operating V2G today runs as utility trials and fleet projects, as our piece on whether bidirectional charging is worth it works through.
How to Check Your Own Address
- Find your utility first. It is the company named on your electricity bill — it, not your city, is who you ask.
- Ask for its interconnection process for bidirectional EV equipment. The answer tells you whether export is a route it offers, and on what equipment terms.
- Ask whether a V2G programme or export tariff exists to join. Permission to connect pays nothing; the programme document is where scheduling and payment live, and the only source for its terms.
- Confirm the car and charger pairing in the makers’ documents. Both sides of the cable have to support the same bidirectional operation — in writing, before money is spent.
Where Today’s Chargers Fit
Plainly: EVDANCE sells no bidirectional charger. The current range charges one way — for example the EV-ACT5006T 48 A Level 2 wall charger (NACS, 25 ft, IP65/IP66, ETL/FCC/CE); the full range is on our products page. If V2G becomes available at your address, treat it as a separate procurement against the three gates above, not as a setting a one-way charger can grow into.
Frequently Asked Questions
My city promotes EVs. Does that mean V2G is allowed at my home?
No. City promotion affects permits, parking and charger funding. Export permission sits with your utility’s interconnection process, and being paid for export sits with a programme.
Can I export with a normal charger if the utility agrees?
No. Utility approval is one gate of three. The hardware has to be bidirectional and the car has to support export; a one-way charger cannot run backwards whatever the paperwork says.
Is V2H decided the same way?
Not quite. V2H sends power to your own home behind the meter, so the utility-programme gate is different — but the car and bidirectional-charger gates are the same, and local installation rules still apply. The family differences are set out in our bidirectional charging explainer.
Related Reading
- Bidirectional Charging Explained: V2L, V2H and V2G
- Which EVs Can Do Bidirectional Charging?
- Is Bidirectional Charging Worth It?
