Amber Electric and BYD Australia have expanded their vehicle-to-grid partnership to include the BYD Sealion 7, giving more Australian EV owners access to technology that can turn a parked vehicle into a household energy asset.
The Sealion 7 joins the Atto 3 in Amber’s vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program, which is being scaled to 1,000 Australian households with $13.6 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
More than 50 V2G sites are already operating through the program, while Amber says more than 8,000 people are currently on its waiting list.
The addition of the Sealion 7 is significant because it moves V2G beyond a relatively limited group of early adopters and opens the technology to owners of one of BYD’s highest-volume electric vehicles.
Since its Australian launch in February 2025, BYD says more than 30,000 Sealion 7s have been sold locally.
Amber Electric Head of V2G Clare Rainbow said expanding support to the Sealion 7 would give a much larger group of EV owners an opportunity to participate.
“We’re the leading residential V2G program in Australia, and having BYD expand its support to the Sealion 7, its best-selling model, is a big deal,” Rainbow said.
“It means a much bigger group of Australians can access V2G and start earning money from a car that would otherwise spend most of its time parked.”
V2G allows electricity stored in an EV battery to flow back into a home or the electricity grid when required.
For households, that creates the potential to charge an EV when electricity prices are low or renewable energy is abundant, then use or export some of that stored energy when electricity prices are higher.
It changes the economics of an EV by giving the vehicle another role while it is parked.
For fleets, the development is equally important.
Most fleet vehicles spend a considerable amount of time stationary, particularly overnight. As V2G technology becomes available across more vehicles and charging hardware, fleet operators may eventually be able to incorporate vehicle batteries into broader depot energy strategies.
That could include managing peak electricity demand, supporting buildings during high-price periods and potentially creating another revenue stream from vehicles that would otherwise remain idle.
BYD Chief Product Officer Sajid Hasan said the experience with the Atto 3 had demonstrated the potential value of V2G for owners.
“The Atto 3’s involvement in V2G has shown us the value this can unlock for customers, and as strong supporters of the technology, we’re proud to broaden that partnership with Amber,” Hasan said.
“Bringing the Sealion 7, our most popular vehicle in Australia, into the program means more drivers can turn their EV into an asset at home.”
The Sealion 7 already includes vehicle-to-load capability as standard, allowing electricity from its Blade Battery to power appliances and other equipment directly from the vehicle.
V2G takes that capability considerably further by allowing the vehicle to become part of the electricity system.
One of the important questions for potential V2G users has been how repeated charging and discharging could affect battery warranties.
BYD says Sealion 7 owners participating in Amber’s program will receive battery coverage under BYD’s warranty arrangements, as already applies to participating Atto 3 owners.
That manufacturer support could become an important factor in broader V2G adoption because fleets will want clear warranty conditions before allowing vehicles to regularly export energy.
Amber participants will also be able to purchase eligible BYD models at a six per cent discount from the base RRP, including GST.
Eligible vehicles include the Atto 3 Evo Dynamic and Premium, along with Sealion 7 Premium and Performance variants.
The partnership comes as EV adoption continues to increase and attention begins shifting from simply replacing an internal-combustion vehicle with an electric one towards understanding how EV batteries can interact with homes, depots and the electricity grid.
For fleet managers considering large numbers of EVs over the next replacement cycle, V2G could ultimately change the business case again.
The vehicle may no longer be viewed simply as a transport asset that consumes electricity. With the right vehicles, charging infrastructure, tariffs and operating patterns, it could also become part of the organisation’s energy infrastructure.
