BYD Sealion 7 joins Amber's ARENA-backed V2G program in Australia

Amber Electric and BYD Australia announced on September 18, 2026 that the BYD Sealion 7 has been added to Amber's vehicle-to-grid program, which Amber calls Australia's largest live V2G program, with more than 50 live V2G sites and a waitlist of more than 8,000 people. Amber says the program is scaling to 1,000 households; the Australian Renewable Energy Agency said on May 29, 2026 it was adding A$13.6 million (about US$9.7 million at September 18 rates) to Amber's project, taking ARENA's total funding to A$16.8 million (about US$12.0 million), with V2G-capable households growing from 50 to 1,000 and smart-charging households from 950 to 2,000; the project "will work with global car manufacturers, starting with BYD," per ARENA.

Amber's release says that, as with the Atto 3, Sealion 7 owners taking part in the program will have their EV battery covered under BYD's warranty support, and that participants "will be able to purchase" an eligible Atto 3 (Evo Dynamic or Premium) or Sealion 7 (Premium or Performance) at six per cent off the base recommended retail price including GST. Amber's V2G program page, read on September 20, 2026, does not yet say the same: its eligible-models list names one model, "BYD Atto 3 (all models)," and its vehicle offer is a 6% discount "for customers that purchase a new Atto 3 and join our V2G program," with the Sealion 7 named elsewhere on the page only in a line saying the "BYD Atto 3 and Sealion 7 are currently supported and warranted" and in a link to the September 18 announcement. The two documents thus differ on whether the Sealion 7 is in the offer and on which Atto 3 variants qualify. The same page prices the discounted StarCharge Halo charger, "currently," at A$2,990 including GST for a single-phase 7.4 kW charger plus standard installation (about US$2,130) and A$4,490 for a three-phase 11 kW charger plus standard installation (about US$3,200). Amber says the Sealion 7, launched in Australia in February 2025, is BYD's top-selling EV there, with more than 30,000 customers to date.

Clare Rainbow, identified in Amber's release as its head of V2G, is reported by The Driven as saying the company so far has more than 60 clients signed up to the trial, against the release's "more than 50 live V2G sites," and reports BYD chief product officer Sajid Hasan as saying more BYD vehicles will be added in time, with some needing software updates so that the V2G can be delivered safely. Amber's release puts battery-electric vehicles at 25.6% of Australia's total vehicle sales in August, without naming a source; the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' count, which The Duck Curve covered, was 24.9% across all reporting sources.