Ford and Octopus Energy launch bidirectional charging: up to 16,000 kilometers possible free of charge

Octopus Energy and Ford are introducing bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging for private customers in Germany. The collaboration will make electric cars an active part of the power grid. When it launches in summer 2026, owners of a new Ford Capri or Ford Explorer will be able to benefit from significant cost advantages by using their vehicle as a power storage device. The benefits enable a free calculated mileage of up to 16,000 kilometers per year.

With V2G, electric cars become flexible energy storage devices that can not only absorb energy but also feed it back into the grid. Octopus Energy’s solution prioritizes charging the vehicle at times when electricity is cheap and allows the vehicle to feed electricity back into the grid when it is particularly valuable—for example, in the early evening when demand is high. For electric car owners, this means that when their car is connected to the bidirectional wallbox at home, it works for them. Collectively, they make a huge contribution to the stability of the German energy system and, in the ideal case, reduce the energy costs for traction current to zero.

How customers benefit from the V2G offer

The offer consists of a combination of a V2G tariff from Octopus Energy, which includes the use of electricity from renewable energies with a guarantee of origin, the technical activation of Ford vehicles, and the bidirectional wallbox from Ambibox. The focus is on the financial benefits for users:

1. Monthly bonus: Octopus Energy credits customers with a bonus of €30 per month, provided the vehicle is connected to the wallbox for at least 300 hours per month. That’s a total of up to €360 per year.
2. Reduced charging price: Customers receive a fixed discount of 18 cents per kilowatt hour on the household electricity price for the charging electricity share. This results in an effective charging price of only 15 cents/kWh2 on average.
3. Charge up to 16,000 km free of charge: With a bonus of €360 per year, a total of 2,400 kWh can be charged free of charge at a reduced charging rate. Assuming a consumption of 15 kWh/100 km, this corresponds to up to 16,000 iKilometers3.

Octopus Energy controls intelligent charging and feeding back into the grid fully automatically in the background. Customers still retain complete control over their vehicles by flexibly setting departure times and desired charge levels according to their needs. Anyone planning a spontaneous trip can deactivate V2G optimization at any time and charge their vehicle immediately at full power of up to 11kW.

Vehicle requirements and hardware

The offer applies to the Ford Capri and Ford Explorer models. These models have the necessary technology to not only absorb energy, but also release it in a controlled manner. Intelligent control in conjunction with the Ambibox charging station, which must be purchased separately, optimizes battery life.

Joerg Hofmeister, Head of Charging & Energy at Ford Europe, emphasizes:

“With the Ford Capri and Ford Explorer, we have developed vehicles that are more than just a means of transportation. They are mobile energy storage devices. We have tested V2G technology extensively to ensure that our customers’ comfort remains unchanged. Our customers can rest assured that their Ford will be ready to drive every morning – and save on electricity costs at the same time.”

Bastian Gierull, CEO of Octopus Energy Germany, says:

“2026 will be the year of e-mobility. We are making the electric car the driving force behind the personal energy transition. Through our collaboration with Ford and a V2G-enabled wallbox, we are offering a turnkey package. Customers don’t need to be energy experts: they just plug in their car and we take care of the rest. This means that green electricity is not only clean, but also noticeably cheaper for everyone.”

¹ Full range of functions available for Ford Capri and Ford Explorer from model year 2026.75. Customers should contact the Ford Customer Center to clarify compatibility.

2 Depending on place of residence, based on an average household electricity price of 33 ct/kWh.

³ With the Octopus Energy electricity tariff for bidirectional charging, customers receive a bonus based on the connection time of the respective vehicle to the charging station. If 300 hours of connection time per month are reached, the customer receives a credit of €30. This can add up to a total bonus of €360 per year. Based on an average charging price of currently 15 ct/kWh, this results in 2400 kWh of charging power. Depending on the vehicle model and configuration, this can cover between approx. 13,700 km and 17,300 km of annual mileage (using the WLTP energy consumption values for Ford Explorer and Capri).