UL Releases Important New V2G Standard for AC Bidirectional Charging

UL Standards & Engagement has released a new technical standard for AC bidirectional electric vehicle charging, a development industry observers say could accelerate the transition of vehicle-to-grid technology from pilot programs to commercial deployment.

What Happened

In May 2026, UL published UL 1741 Supplement SC, which establishes requirements for AC Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment intended for use with EVs equipped with SAE J3072 Bidirectional Onboard Inverters. The standard defines a certification approach where the charger functions as an "oversight supervisor" for vehicles designed and tested to meet SAE J3072 requirements. Zach Woogen, Executive Director of the Vehicle Grid Integration Council, noted in a blog post that this "long-awaited standard may catalyze a new market for low-cost, scalable vehicle-to-grid alternating current (V2G AC) by supporting interoperability." Currently, automakers including GM, Ford and Nissan offer bidirectional charging features, but these require proprietary hardware and are limited to applications such as backup power.

Why It Matters

The new certification pathway differs from existing approaches in California and Maryland, which certify specific vehicle-charger combinations under UL 1741 requirements paired with UL 9741. The UL 1741 SC approach does not require certifying a given vehicle model with a specific charger as a single system. Nevada and Connecticut have pending proposals to adopt the same certification framework. Regulators in California, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have already clarified treatment for DC V2G systems under existing or modified interconnection rules.

The Bottom Line

The standard represents a step toward widespread interoperability of AC bidirectional charging by establishing a pathway that decouples vehicle and charger certification requirements from the oversight function.