Origin has partnered with manufacturers BYD and StarChange in its trial for an electric vehicle (EV) subscription service.

The service will be bundled with a bi-directional charger and access to free home EV charging. Its bi-directional charging allows EV drivers to charge their cars from the grid or solar system which will then send electricity back to the grid.

“Vehicle-to-grid charging is a real game-changer that could turbocharge the EV market in Australia by allowing EV drivers to send electricity back to the grid from their car and get rewarded for that,” Origin general manager – e-mobility Chau Le says.

“We are excited to be at the forefront of pioneering this technology with the trial of this Australian-first vehicle-to-grid bundle that makes it simple and easy for drivers to unlock benefits through access to free charging.”

For customers eligible to participate in the trial, the fully automated process will provide free charging at home for every kilometre driven within the subscription up to around 24,000km per year.

The Electric Vehicle Council estimates that driving 12,000km per year costs $500 annually on electricity with an EV on a standard electricity tariff, or $2,500 annually on fuel.