The Charger That Talks to Any EV Is Almost Real

Enphase's IQ Bidirectional EV Charger targets Q4 2026 mass production, bringing open-standard V2G to US homes for the first time

6 May 2026

Enphase Energy, the California-based residential energy company, has confirmed plans to move its IQ Bidirectional EV Charging Platform into volume production by the fourth quarter of 2026, a step that could bring open-standard vehicle-to-grid technology to American homes at meaningful scale for the first time.

The charger is built on ISO 15118-20, the standard communication protocol for electric vehicles, and is designed to work across vehicle brands and home electrical systems. That sets it apart from most two-way chargers currently available in the US market, which are proprietary and typically restrict compatibility to vehicles from the same manufacturer.

During 2025, Enphase validated the platform at CharIN interoperability events held in the US and Europe, confirming functionality across single-phase and three-phase electrical architectures. The company is pursuing UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 certification concurrently, positioning the charger for integration into utility demand response programmes, arrangements through which grid operators pay households to adjust energy use during periods of high demand.

Regulatory momentum in the US is providing a tailwind. Eight states, including California, Maryland, and New Jersey, have enacted or proposed vehicle-to-grid legislation. Maryland became the first US state to adopt formal V2G interconnection rules in July 2025. California has granted its Energy Commission authority to require bidirectional capability in new electric vehicles, though the precise scope of implementation remains under regulatory review.

For utilities, aggregated home batteries represent a source of distributed power that could reduce the need for costly grid upgrades and absorb surplus renewable generation. However, several constraints remain. The charger requires a vehicle equipped with ISO 15118-20 support, which covers a growing but still limited portion of the current electric vehicle fleet. State-level frameworks for compensating residential V2G participants also vary considerably, and Enphase has indicated that limited pilots will precede broader commercialisation.