Octopus and BYD launch UK’s first V2G car bundle with free EV charging
Octopus Energy has teamed up with Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to unveil a UK-first “Power Pack Bundle” that could eliminate energy bills for drivers and accelerate the adoption of smart vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology across the country.
The new V2G car bundle package, announced at Octopus’s Energy Tech Summit in London, includes a leased BYD Dolphin electric car, a bi-directional Zaptec Pro home charger, and access to a smart tariff that enables completely free home charging. The bundle will be priced at under £300 a month and is expected to go live later this year.
V2G technology turns electric vehicles into mobile batteries, enabling them not only to charge at times of low energy demand and cost but also to feed electricity back into the grid during peak hours. That two-way interaction helps balance the grid and cuts reliance on fossil fuel generation.
Octopus claims the typical driver could save up to £620 a year compared with standard EV charging costs — and nearly £1,000 annually versus fuelling a petrol car.
“This is a game-changer for both drivers and the energy system,” said Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy. “By using the spare capacity in car batteries to support the grid, we can give drivers free charging and reduce the cost of renewable energy for everyone. It’s the future of transport and energy, rolled into one.”
The initiative is powered by Octopus’s proprietary tech platform, Kraken, which automates the charging and discharging process based on real-time grid signals and pricing. Drivers simply plug in overnight, and the system takes care of the rest — ensuring they wake up with a fully charged car and no home charging bill.
The partnership also includes Motability Operations, the UK’s largest vehicle leasing company for disabled people, ensuring the technology is accessible to a wider group of drivers.
Andrew Miller, chief executive of Motability Operations, welcomed the inclusion: “This partnership means more affordable electric driving for disabled people and turns EVs into energy assets that support the grid and cut household energy bills.”
Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD, added: “This is about unlocking the full potential of EVs — not just as transportation, but as active participants in a smarter, more resilient energy ecosystem.”
The launch of the Power Pack Bundle comes as interest in V2G ramps up globally. Experts believe that widespread adoption of the technology could lead to hundreds of thousands of EVs acting as mini power stations, offering valuable flexibility to national energy systems as renewable energy generation increases.
The bundle will be available later in 2025. Drivers can register interest now via Octopus Electric Vehicles, the energy supplier’s EV leasing arm, which has become the largest EV-only leasing business in the UK since launching in 2021.
The V2G car bundle deal marks another milestone in Octopus’s bid to reshape how Britons consume, store, and benefit from energy — and could signal a shift in how electric vehicles are marketed, from just transport to powerful energy assets.
