Synergies of Automated Charging and Vehicle-to-Grid: Structured Assessment of the Potential of Automated Electric Vehicle Charging for Grid Stabilization Across Various Use Cases

The rapid expansion of renewable energy sources and the growing adoption of electric passenger vehicles (EVs) necessitate intelligent energy management strategies to ensure grid stability and operational efficiency. Achieving a sustainable energy system requires very high shares of renewable energy, potentially up to 100%. To balance fluctuations in renewable generation and electricity demand, energy storage technologies are essential. Stationary battery storage is an effective solution, but battery production is associated with significant emissions and resource consumption. From a sustainability perspective, minimizing additional battery production is therefore desirable. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G), which enables bidirectional energy exchange between EVs and the power grid, offers a promising alternative by utilizing batteries that are already installed in electric vehicles instead of deploying additional stationary storage systems. This increases resource efficiency and reduces the environmental impact of energy storage deployment. At the same time, automated charging technologies can further improve the sustainability of future mobility and energy systems by increasing the usability of electric vehicles and optimizing charging infrastructure utilization, particularly in long-term parking scenarios such as airports. As vehicle automation advances, the relevance of automated charging solutions will continue to grow. However, it remains unclear whether automation will support or hinder the implementation of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) concepts and their potential contribution to a more sustainable transport and energy sector. This paper therefore provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in automated charging systems and evaluates their suitability for enabling grid-supportive V2G applications. Using a weighted point rating system, different technologies are systematically assessed across relevant EV use cases. The results highlight both synergies and trade-offs between automation and V2G, offering insights into how automated charging technologies can be designed to maximize their contribution to sustainable mobility and energy systems.