GM Enables Vehicle-to-Grid Charging for Electric Cars
Original: GM Wants Your Electric Car to Power Your House—and Your Neighborhood
Why This Matters
Expands EV value proposition beyond transportation into energy storage market
General Motors activated vehicle-to-grid charging for GM Energy customers, allowing 250,000 EVs to power homes and electrical grids. The technology requires a $20,000 system and utility partnerships.
GM has enabled bidirectional charging capabilities across twelve of its electric vehicle models, allowing owners to discharge power back into the electrical grid. The automaker's GM Energy subsidiary offers a $20,000 home energy system that enables EVs to power homes during outages and sell electricity back to utilities during peak demand periods. While 250,000 GM EVs have this capability, only thousands of customers currently use GM Energy services. Sterling Anderson, GM's chief product officer, said the technology turns every GM EV into a distributed power resource. The system requires utility partnerships and professional installation, with GM claiming customers typically recover the upfront costs within five years through energy sales.