Bidirectional charging has little impact on electric car batteries

Electromobility Bidirectional Charging has Little Impact on Electric Car Batteries

2025-08-19 From Stefanie Eckardt | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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The Mobility House and RWTH Aachen have investigated the long-term effects of charging processes on the battery, particularly those of vehicle-to-grid applications. The results have been summarized by the partners in a study.

Bidirectional charging has negligible effects on the battery of an electric vehicle. This was revealed in a joint study by RWTH Aachen and The Mobility House.(Image: BMW) — Bidirectional charging has negligible effects on the battery of an electric vehicle. This was revealed in a joint study by RWTH Aachen and The Mobility House.
(Image: BMW)

The battery is the heart of every electric vehicle—and also the most expensive component of an EV. Therefore, many owners of such vehicles are concerned that numerous charging cycles could negatively affect the battery's lifespan. But is this concern justified? The Mobility House Energy and the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH) conducted a joint study to examine the long-term effects of charging processes on batteries, particularly Vehicle-to-Grid applications. The partners investigated and compared scenarios of immediate charging (Immediate Charging) with smart charging (V1G) and bidirectional charging (Vehicle-to-Grid, V2G) on different cell types available on the market.

The results clearly show that immediate charging is the most harmful. Immediate charging leads to high aging and grid strain. Additionally, the battery is not monetized in this process, and thus its maximum benefit is not utilized. Therefore, smart charging should definitely be used. After ten years, the reduced aging through V1G amounted to between 3.3% p and 6.8% p. This corresponds to a capacity gain compared to immediate charging of 1.8 to 3.6 kWh or 10.9 to 22.5 km (approx. 7 to 14 miles) range according to WLTP2. Moreover, smart charging generates between 200 and 400 euros (approx. 230 and 470 USD) annually in revenue, taking the current energy market into account.

Secondly, it was shown that Vehicle-to-Grid has only a minimal impact on overall aging while providing significant added value. After ten years, the additional aging through V2G ranged between 1.7% p and 5.8% p. This corresponds to a capacity loss of 0.9 to 3.1 kWh or 5.8 to 19.2 km (approx. 4 to 12 miles) range according to WLTP. This capacity currently costs around 100 to 300 euros (approx. 115 to 350 USD) of investment but generates over 600 euros per year. The simulated 52 kWh battery experienced an additional annual energy throughput of 4.70 MWh.

Avoid Extreme Charging States

The flatter a charge and discharge cycle in V2G operation is, the gentler it is on the battery. Additionally, extreme charging states of 0 and 100 percent should be avoided as much as possible. Trading strategies that take this into account reduce battery aging and ensure that the vehicle's lifespan is not affected. (se)

Mercedes-Benz and The Mobility House have entered into a Europe-wide partnership for smart home charging. (Image:Mercedes-Benz)

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Date: 08.12.2025

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