The Social Factor in Vehicle-to-Grid Adoption: Exploring Consumer Attitudes in Germany

Driven by global climate change initiatives, the greenefication of energy production and the electrification of the mobility sector are advancing rapidly. This shift increases reliance on intermittent renewable energy sources while simultaneously raising charging demand, potentially leading to grid imbalances during peak hours. In this context, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology has emerged as a promising solution. It enables batteries to serve as flexible backup power source, allowing charging vehicles at times of abundance of renewable energy and feed green energy back into the grid when supply is low. While policymakers and grid operators strongly support V2G, user perspectives the situation is far less clear on the user side. . Therefore, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on sociotechnical systems (STS) theory from the field of information systems (IS), to examine the mental models of electric vehicle users in Germany. Our analysis reveals five distinct groups: Flexible Skeptics, Selective Supporters, Cautious Optimists, Control-Oriented Realists, and Socially Conscious Advocates. Our findings help practitioners and policymakers to better understand the potential barriers to V2G adoption in Germany and enable them to develop tailored strategies to promote this technology.